Janice called me. "What can you do with someone who is so bad as a colleague that it feels like they are evil?"

"Evil's a strong word, what do you mean?"

"Someone who uses his station to take advantage of others is evil to me. I mean people who play "gotcha' with co-workers. They seem to demean others and publicly broadcast someone's deficiencies or mistakes just for sport. Often we can't avoid them. What if someone like that is your boss? It leaves you feeling humiliated and helpless. It breeds a lack of confidence and fear. It's so difficult to lead and inspire others when you feel already defeated."

"Great topic Janice," I said. "This is very challenging in today's job market. People feel there's no other choice but to suffer. The truth is that when we see someone as bad, or evil, as you say, it's a message about us as much as the person. By accepting him or her as so bad, we start every interaction weakened. But when we stop ourselves, refuse to take that position, and try to reveal our good, we bounce back with the strength and confidence to improve our job and career.

"That's why we recommend praying or using an affirmation like 'There's good for me here, and I ought to have it!' in difficult work situations. These spiritual practices are to get us back on the powerful track of calm, confident leadership, not the others. They then follow us."

"Thanks," she said. "I'll try it and report back." 

This week, make your difficult colleagues a source of strength. Bounce off them.

Stephen
ANE = Calm, Confident, Connected Leadership

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