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Fast Company
27-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
20 ways leaders stay grounded and motivated in changing times
The demands of leadership don't pause when the ground shifts. For those guiding teams through uncertainty, staying present and motivated is vital to making sound decisions, maintaining team morale, and sustaining long-term momentum. In volatile environments, personal clarity can be hard for leaders to hold onto. To understand how experienced leaders maintain focus, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members share what keeps them steady and inspired. Their answers highlight the habits, values, and real-world reminders that help them lead through disruption without losing direction. 1. LETTING FAMILY MOMENTS SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE My children's magnificent indifference to my importance keeps me grounded. After closing our biggest deal, my 4-year-old interrupted the celebration to ask if I'd seen her doll. That perspective reset was worth more than any coaching session. My daughter doesn't care about projections; she cares if I'm fully present for bedtime stories. This radical demotion from CEO to doll-finder instantly restores proportion. – Shayne Fitz-Coy, Sabot Family Companies 2. PRACTICING CRITICAL THINKING TO SEE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES Critical thinking has been the most important attribute that I have employed in my career. It seems we have an inordinate desire to create an opinion and truly believe that our opinion is correct. The reality is that there are always two sides to a story, and there can be truth in both sides depending on perspective. To be an effective leader, I need to understand both sides to the best of my ability. – Richard McWhorter, SRM Private Wealth 3. REMAINING CLOSE TO THE DAILY LIVES OF CONSUMERS What keeps me grounded is staying closely connected to the everyday lives of our consumers and understanding how they live, what they value, and how the apparel they choose supports their comfort, confidence, and self-expression. I'm continually inspired by the opportunity to lead purposeful design, and it's that human connection that fuels meaningful, scalable innovation. – Jane Newman, HanesBrands 4. TREATING CHANGE AS A CATALYST FOR PERSONAL GROWTH High-change environments are opportunities to learn more about yourself and to develop personally and professionally. When you learn and grow, you become more grounded because you're more confident in yourself and your abilities. – Tom Freiling, Freiling Agency 5. GIVING BACK THROUGH SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERING Volunteering and serving are the main things that keep me grounded and inspired. When you step out of your everyday work environment into real-life needs, ego fades and purpose sharpens. It's a reminder that leadership is about impact. Helping others with no agenda resets my perspective and refuels my drive, especially in environments where it's easy to lose sight of what really matters. – Kristin Hege, Convey Communications 6. TAKING OWNERSHIP OF YOUR TEAM'S FUTURE Owning a company means owning the responsibility to build an economy for your people—that keeps me grounded. What inspires me is the idea that if we build something truly great, our employees' kids will one day want to work here too. – Matt Hofherr, Barrett Hofherr 7. RECONNECTING WITH ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE Staying connected to purpose—both my own and the organization's—keeps me grounded. When change is constant and uncertainty is high, it's easy to get swept up in reacting rather than leading. Re-centering on why we do what we do reminds me that leadership is not about control but about stewardship. Purpose also fuels my resilience, and it keeps me aligned with my values even when the path forward isn't clear. – Krishnan Venkata, LatentView Analytics Corp. 8. GROUNDING DECISIONS IN IMPACT AND DATA What keeps me grounded and inspired is seeing the real impact of our work systemically and in people's lives. In a high-change environment, grounding ourselves in high-quality research and data shows us what's working and how to respond effectively and efficiently. It's not just numbers—it's a reflection of meaningful, measurable change. To me, that's a source of great hope. – Kelsey Morgan, EverFree Every once in a while, when I introspect, I realize that even though I have made improvements in myself, I have friends, colleagues, and leaders who are smarter and who continue to evolve themselves day in and day out. With this in mind, my journey of learning continues. – Ruchir Nath, Dell Technologies I think constant evaluation—seeking feedback from a diverse array of sources with disciplined consistency—is critical to remaining grounded. Even when we know feedback might not be what we want to hear, it's important to solicit it, process it, and recognize there is often merit in internalizing dissenting opinions—if for no other reason than to pressure-test your convictions. – Kendra Davenport, Easterseals 11. STARTING EACH DAY WITH A PRACTICE OF KINDNESS My daily kindness practice keeps me anchored through constant change. I begin each morning by recognizing team contributions and end by reflecting on where we've moved the needle for customers. This intentional focus on human impact not only grounds me in our purpose but continually reveals unexpected opportunities for innovation that spreadsheets alone would never uncover. – Chia-Lin Simmons, LogicMark 12. STAYING ROOTED IN COMMUNITY VALUES The one thing that keeps me grounded is my connection to my community. With them, I can keep a pulse on the values of what we have built and maintain clarity on our mission. It's part of being community-led. – Mike Rizzo, 13. KEEPING MISSION FRONT AND CENTER EACH DAY Staying connected to my core mission keeps me grounded. No matter how fast things change, purpose provides direction. I remind myself daily why I started and who I serve. That clarity fuels resilience, keeps my ego in check, and inspires me to adapt without losing sight of what truly matters. – Stephen Nalley, Black Briar Advisors 14. LISTENING DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES Direct connections with our customers keep me grounded and inspired in a high-change environment. Hearing firsthand how our solutions rescue critical data during their worst moments reminds me of our mission, and real-world feedback drives and sparks our technology innovations. – Chongwei Chen, DataNumen Inc. 15. LEADING WITH PURPOSE INSTEAD OF URGENCY Staying connected to my 'why'—the purpose behind the work—keeps me grounded. In fast-changing environments, I find clarity and inspiration by focusing on the impact we're making and the people we're serving. That constant reminder helps me lead with intention, not just urgency. – Maria Alonso, Fortune 206 16. STAYING CLOSE TO CUSTOMERS AND WHAT THEY VALUE MOST What keeps me grounded is remembering that I've built everything by staying close to our customers and even closer to the truth and what matters to them. What inspires me is knowing that the right insight, delivered at the right moment, can change the trajectory of someone's business, even in highly volatile environments. – Reuben Yonatan CX Foundation 17. BEING FOCUSED ON SOLVING REAL, PRESSING PROBLEMS In a world of constant change, staying rooted in the mission and purpose of what we're trying to achieve keeps me grounded. It fuels my drive and ensures we stay aligned in the face of uncertainty. – Katrina (Katya) Rosseini, KRR Ventures 18. USING GRATITUDE TO STAY CENTERED AND CREATIVE Every morning, I spend five minutes in my gratitude journal, celebrating one PR win, one mom milestone, and one wild idea. That ritual reminds me why I built my businesses, so when the agency pivots, AI tools shift, or home chaos hits, I stay grounded in purpose and fueled by creativity. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC 19. RELYING ON CORE IDENTITY WHILE EMBRACING EVOLUTION I remain grounded knowing that with high change often comes high opportunity and exciting evolution. While this can sometimes be scary, I believe if we remain grounded in our DNA and look for ways to apply it in today's world, we will come out on top. Listening to the next generation, consulting with peers, and watching the trendsetters, I balance both skepticism and optimism. – Maggie ONeill, Peppercomm
Forbes
16-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Become Indispensable When Starting Your Career
Arar Han is the co-founder of Sabot Family Companies, a holding company with ventures in real estate, technology, and consumer brands. When my father dropped me off at college, one of the first pieces of advice he gave me was: Become friends with your professors. When I got my first job, he was similarly terse: Try to become indispensable. This is a lesson I'd encourage all new college graduates starting their careers to consider. Thinking back, these stand up well over time. I think about this career advice often when entry-level people join our team. Many observations have already been made about this generation of workers, such as how mental health is a top priority for Gen Z or that they're often collaborative and value authenticity and flexibility. Others have shared criticisms. For example, Jodie Foster humorously bemoaned young Gen Z actors in an interview with The Guardian. Each previous generation seems to find the next one to be somewhat disappointing. I don't have much to offer in the way of generational truths, which I think are best described while looking in the rear-view mirror. But I do observe that the workers of today seem to have grown up like they're on The Truman Show, the comedic drama from 1998. I imagine growing up with the internet and social media must forge a high level of self-consciousness. I am sympathetic to those who feel perpetually in the limelight. It must be exhausting to feel observed all the time. So, when entry-level people show up to work for one of our companies, I anticipate a high sensitivity to and concern for how their choices and behavior might be perceived by their peers or through the lens of a smartphone. In any case, I've found most new workers don't come into the workplace naturally oriented toward being 'indispensable.' That's because 'indispensable' implies that you're not the central hero—something else is. And to be indispensable, that 'something'—whether it's your boss, the company or its mission—has to feel it can't progress without you. You're becoming an essential part of a broader whole. I always hope our entry-level workers become indispensable to their colleagues, their managers and to what it is the team is trying to accomplish together. Being needed in the workplace is a vital rush. It gives purpose and meaning to why you were asked to join a team in the first place. And as I see it, no team can be the best version of itself without everyone being indispensable together—to one another, to clients and to all those their organization serves. First, you show up and on time. It's hard to imagine anyone essential not being there when needed. Be there and be ready every time you go into the workplace (or log on if you're in a virtual role). Second, do your best to fulfill the things you are entrusted with. Are you at a call center? Then this means picking up promptly and delivering the service the customer is asking for. Are you in an outside sales role? Then this means following up on your leads enthusiastically and with a dedication that defies all the 'noes' that inevitably come with the job. In other words, strive to be really good at what you do. Third, look for ways to do a little more to help your team get better or go faster. Maybe you are a writer for a publication, and you happen to catch an error in someone else's work. Do you say something, or do you let it slide since it's not yours? It's up to you, but I believe the indispensable sort tries to make their environment better in the small ways that count. I think of it kind of like how folks who pick up other people's trash at the park or run after someone who leaves behind their hat make the world a bit better. A wonderful thing can happen as this cycle repeats: People start anticipating that you'll be there, that you do a job well and that you're helpful. You become essential to them. You become an indispensable part of the team. Then, throughout your career journey, you'll have the know-how to be a winner at your next stop and the one after. When you become the boss of your dreams, you'll have the opportunity to impart this same message to those just starting out. You don't want to be indispensable to just anything, though. If you're going to work hard and try to make a difference, do it for something you believe in or that plays to your natural strengths. For example, do you have a heart for people's well-being? Look for roles that would provide help for others, whether because the company exists for that reason or because your role directly interfaces with people. Are you good with numbers? Consider seeking out roles that provide ample opportunity to engage with math. You might be surprised at the range: Statisticians, accountants and math teachers work with numbers, but so do sales managers, nutritionists and digital marketers. One more thing: Lots of people say that when you're just starting out, any job will do. I disagree. While you're learning new skills and becoming part of a team, it helps to do it as part of a team that has positive energy and values hard work. Otherwise, you might find that you start absorbing the negative energy and bad habits of the place or become cynical about work. Neither will set you up well to perform to your highest potential. So, for new college graduates, go forth and join a team that needs you to be indispensable. Congratulations on your many achievements so far and for all the ones to come. And for current leaders, remember that this cycle of being indispensable begins with you. Value your entry-level workers as real contributors, and set the expectation that their contributions are just as meaningful as those of more experienced workers. When you do so, this virtuous cycle can begin. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
