Life happens every day. Over time, we would experience a bit of everything — good, bad, great, sad, and laughter. Our work life is no different. With the ups come the downs. Growth is not linear; it is all over the place. We must develop resilience to work with uncertainty as leaders. If we are not feeling well ourselves, it will be much more difficult, if not impossible, to lead.
Who has not experienced ups and downs at work? Whether you are a leader of a team, a team member, or a solo entrepreneur, work comes with its fair share of ups and downs. Each day presents new challenges. As most of us have heard before, it’s all about how you respond to the waves of change and the challenges.
So, how should you respond to ups and downs, or challenging situations in dynamic work environments? “Ups and downs” literally refers to emotional ups and downs that consume our focus and energy. These emotional ups and downs are like internal waves; they are a reflection of a real circumstance that feels uncomfortable or unresolved. When you’re in the thick of a difficult situation, it’s often hard to come up for air and see clearly. This makes it feel impossible to act responsibly and achieve your goals.
You need reminders from your clear-headed self to brave the ups and downs and resolve them. Here are a few reminders for how to better manage ups and downs at work. The first thing to do when you find yourself experiencing frustration or resistance to a situation is to zoom out. To zoom out is to pause and take a birds-eye view of the situation, your career, and your life.
This helps you return to the reality that this is just one challenging situation in the grand scheme of your career and your life. What will it look like if you make it through this successfully? Is it really something you need to stress about? How could you take the lead of the situation and handle it as a professional? Typically, an office worker spends one-third of their day at work or at least eight hours per day, 40 hours per week. Isn’t it tiring? Well, it depends on how you perceive your job.
For example, some people enjoy doing their job as the company ensures their wellbeing and gives them a sense of fulfilment for personal and professional life. On the other hand, some other people choose to build their own business and quit their job because they are not happy and satisfied with their current situation in the workplace.
Adversities make you stronger
The undulating career is the rich soil for learning and development. Each new challenge or downturn is an opportunity around which a lot of new things are learned, forcing people to adapt and acquire new skills. Recovery from professional setbacks usually demands creative problem-solving and resilience, an attribute that is extremely useful in any field.
By contrast, at the height of one’s career, it is easier to take on greater responsibilities or innovative projects that may not be feasible within the confines of a more static role. One builds resilience by surviving the ups and downs of a career. This emotional and professional toughness is created by surmounting adversities and learning from failures.
Resilient professionals more easily cope with modern work environments filled with stress and uncertainty, making them a viable asset. Besides, resiliency triggers a growth mindset, which is important for long-term career success and satisfaction.
Passing through both success and failure gives professionals an all-rounded view of their industry. That broad viewpoint allows for a deeper understanding of the complexities and dynamics within their respective fields. In other words, the person who witnessed the boom and bust in the dot-com business possibly has perspectives that elude a peer who steadily progressed. This perspective fixes one for better decision-making and a nuanced approach toward problem-solving.
Roller-coaster-like career
The majority of the time, a non-linear career path exposes professionals to different roles, various environments, and cultures. This becomes a key strength within a globalised economy where entire industries are shifting ground. Professionals who have navigated different experiences are usually better at adapting to new trends, technologies, and market changes.
They are also more likely to seize opportunities that others might generally overlook because they don’t like staying within their comfort zone. It teaches many character-building lessons, especially during struggle and success periods, topped by imparting empathy and enhancing leadership abilities. Every leader who has struggled with any adversity in life will emerge as an empathising and supportive leader about the challenges of teams.
They know what it feels like to be confronted with hurdles and would support them with guidance in crossing obstacles. Having gone through various phases of a career, such leaders would turn out to be better at motivating their respective teams through changes and challenges.
A roller-coaster-like career is more personally enriching. The feeling one gets from the confrontation and surmounting of the many obstacles, learning from failures, and basking in successes is deep. These are experiences that build professional capability but also personal character. They also provide a sense of accomplishment and self-awareness that could never be gained from a linear and challenged career.
Although a career that progresses completely free of major upsets or challenges might appear to be the ultimate ideal, it is in those ups and downs that professionals grow and thrive. Resilience, adaptability, and broadened views acquired through a non-linear career path have the effect of empowering a professional to excel in various environments under different contexts.
It is these same qualities that equip professionals to be better prepared to excel in various environments and different contexts. Embracing where one’s career journey takes them can make for a far richer and more rewarding professional life.
