Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2022 42 Steven Morris On Brand O ne of the most potent items I challenge leaders to think through is what to focus on and what to say "no" to. The longer you've been in business, the more successful you've become and the more opportunities you have. But greater opportunity brings complexity, and complexity leads to more grey areas around the decisions you face. I find that when it comes to making decisions, the ability to "Just Say No" is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. But what should we stop saying "yes" to? These are the five most common things I encourage leaders to stop doing. 1. Stop ignoring your fears. As leaders, we're constantly facing tough decisions, and the right choices aren't always crystal-clear. What drives our decisions comes down to two things: the rational and the emotional. The rational includes data, advice and perspectives that help us decide. The emotional is more complex, and it's what makes us act. In my book, The Beautiful Business, I point out that leaders need to be sufficiently self-aware to recognize the deepest fears that may be consciously or subconsciously driving their decisions. Fear of failure, a scarcity soundtrack, fears that ride along with imposter syndrome, and worries about uncontrollable futures can all influence our decision-making. The remedy is to know our fears, name them, and remove them from the soundtrack of our decision-making. Instead of deciding by fear, start letting love encourage your decisions. 2. Stop resisting change. When we resist change, we close the door to unforeseeable possibilities that might be waiting in our future. By digging in our heels and pushing back against change, we may be denying opportunities for greater innovation, growth and love. We have to be open to change if we want to realize our goals and advance our business. Stop resisting the inevitable. When we stay open to change, we embrace a necessary part of progress, growth and fulfillment. 3. Stop thinking you can control everything. If the pandemic has reminded us of one thing over and over, it's that events can be largely beyond our control. But what we can control is our thoughts and actions. Controlling ourselves gives us a head start on improving everything – our leadership, our business, our focus, our commitments and ourselves. 4. Stop needing to have all the answers and be right all the time. The leader's chair is a highly visible, very public one. We're expected to have the answers and have it together all the time. But that's an untenable expectation. Trying to be always right just weakens our capacity to learn, be curious and work in a state of enthusiasm and wonder. Trying to be seen as having all the answers narrows the space for the others around us to have answers that may be more right than our own. By freeing ourselves from the need to be seen as right and all- knowing, we can open up some space to be seen as human leaders – leaders who are "perfectly imperfect," and who can grow by learning from those around them. 5. Stop living your life for other people. We've been blessed with the precious gift of life. And while others may look to us with lots of expectations, we only have to answer to ourselves at the end of the day. Our life is a fusion of how we can imagine and shape the world we live in. That's our reality. The greatest human art is to shape our lives to serve ourselves and the people around us in the best possible ways. Stop living the life that others expect of you. Instead, live the life you were put on this beautiful planet to live, and live it to the fullest. If you're looking to be more focused, minimize your stress, and maximize your quality of life, stop doing what no longer serves you. 5 THINGS LEADERS SHOULD STOP DOING Steven Morris is a brand, culture and leadership advisor, author, and speaker. Over his 25+ years in business he's worked with 3,000+ business leaders at 250+ global and regional companies. Discover: https://matterco.co RO

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