4.1 Chris Petersen: Stay on the Boat

"I’m fascinated with coaches that can perform in the storm without losing the big picture. It seems like the only way that happens is to have a game plan.” - Chris Petersen

When the storms hit and the boat starts rocking, how do you stay on the boat?

Storms are a key part of everyone’s life. They test your strengths and commitment, and they expose your weaknesses and gaps.

When the storms hit and the boat starts rocking, you will see four types of people:

• People throwing themselves off.

• People throwing other people off.

• People settling down and waiting for the storm to pass.

• People saving people from being thrown off and helping bring people back in.

Former college football coach Chris Petersen once said, “I’m fascinated with coaches that can perform in the storm without losing the big picture. It seems like the only way that happens is to have a game plan.”

Having emotional stability is the foundation for that game plan.

Emotional stability is the ability to maintain a balanced and consistent emotional state, demonstrating resilience and control in the face of challenges. It requires three things:

1 - Self-Awareness: Know your emotions, how they help you, hurt you, and when and how they become triggered.

2 - Self-Management: Manage and express your emotions appropriately.

3 - Resilience: Bounce back from setbacks quickly and cope with the stress that comes with it.

Like they tell you on airplanes, put your mask on and save yourself first, then look for other people to help. Every team needs an emotionally stable anchor to keep things moving the right way, especially when the storms hit.

Question of the Day: How would you rate your level of emotional stability, and when and how could it be better?