We were in last place.  I was leading a team that began the year #71 of 72.  By February we were alone in last place.  In June, nothing had changed.

As a new manager, I was losing sleep, losing my temper and losing my team.  One night as I fretted over my team’s results with a veteran manager he asked me a simple yet profound question.  He asked, “Dave, are you leading people or are you managing a ranking report?”

The answer of course was the latter.  I was focused on my circumstances.  I was letting everything I couldn’t control have control over me.  As a result, I was managing not leading.

I’m In Control

I Had Lost Focus On What I Had Control Over

It happened without me realizing it.  As things began to slide, I began to focus on the wrong things.

  • Our sales were being under-reported.
  • The quotas were too high.
  • Our marketing department was providing poor sales pieces.
  • Our budget was too small.
  • The competition had lower prices.

As I listened to these complaints from my team and internalized them myself, I was setting up excuses for our failures instead of looking for solutions within our control.

The Controllables

In June, I changed my attitude.  I called a meeting with my team and asked them to forgive me for focusing on the wrong things.  We developed a mantra:

“If we control the controllables, everything else will follow.” 

We set off on a new course to focus on the areas of our jobs we could 100% control.  We decided we would be the best in the areas we could control.

  • #1 in the number of customers we saw.
  • Know our competition better than other teams.
  • Know our customers better than other teams.
  • 100% implementation of our sales strategies.
  • Maintaining positive attitudes.
  • Supporting and lifting up each person on the team.

Everything Else Followed

As our focus shifted, so did our results.  As we conquered the things we had control over, sales increased.  Individuals began winning sales awards and the team gained recognition for being the best in multiple areas of our job.

After 18 months of intense focus on the controllables, the team earned a 4 day trip together for moving from worst to first.  There were no secret sales strategies or changes in prices that reversed our trends.  It was our decision as a team to focus our attention to the things we could control.

The Bottom Line:

This was a huge lesson for me as a leader.  If I focused on circumstances out of my control, my team focused on them as well.  Once I changed my focus, I had the credibility to expect the same shift from my people.

Personally, I find myself getting stuck in my circumstances as well.  Things like bad service at a restaurant, bad weather, the economy, traffic, etc. all can affect my attitudes and my actions.

I have certain things in life I have control over.

  • I can make time to exercise.
  • I can stop procrastinating.
  • I can turn off the TV.
  • I can love my family unconditionally.
  • I can work harder.
  • I can choose a positive attitude.
  • I can focus on others instead of myself.

All these things are in my control and can change the direction of my day, my week and even my life.  I must choose to accept the things I have no power over.

Once I do accept my circumstances, then I must choose to control the controllables.  I have found that is the best way to lead myself and others towards a better outcome.

Question:

What circumstances are you letting control you?