In difficult times, it is imperative to stay positive. Having a positive outlook enables you to find solutions more effectively, and it’s especially crucial in leadership. Exhibiting an optimistic perspective and growth mindset is key in helping your team overcome difficult situations.
In tough times, we often focus on achieving the large goal or riding out a storm. Concentrating on the destination is our natural instinct, but it’s so important to celebrate the small wins along the way — that’s what generates the positive energy any team needs to keep pushing forward.
When thinking back to difficult times, what resonates with me is the personal growth I experience along the way. As a leader, I use difficult times as a test to see how I guide and inspire my team. You never understand your leadership style as much as you do when you are being challenged — how do you motivate yourself, how do you motivate your team? What stays with your team isn’t necessarily what you do to face the problems, it’s how you face those problems.
For example: I often tell the story about working at an Ambulatory Care Center early in my career. I was faced with transiting the center to several external owners and had to share the news with my team and work to have a smooth transition. One of my most proudest moments was the way in which my small but mighty team approached the change in ownership. I started everyday with an inspirational quote and tried to be available to help my staff decide what came next in their journey. On the last day, we celebrated the team and place we had worked together — and the start of the next journey for all the team. So instead of it being a sad and anxiety driven experience, we collectively made it a celebration of the work we had accomplished together.
About Richelle Webb Dixon: Committed to diversity and equality in healthcare and the workplace, Richelle Webb Dixon is a healthcare equality champion and compassionate leader. As a proven executive in the healthcare industry, Richelle has worked in a variety of settings- hospital operations, ambulatory care, community advocate, and medical education. All of her professional experiences, coupled with her will to bring about a positive change, allow Richelle to create a lasting impact in organizations she works with. She continues to work towards bringing healthcare diversity and equality for all, on the operational side and via serving on boards.
Connect with Richelle on LinkedIn.
