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Moving Forward When
Forward Doesn’t Seem
Possible
by Sherry Winn
Living The Dream? surviving might get you through Incessantly watch the news.
COVID-19, it will not move you
During the 1988 Olympic Games, I forward and often gets you stuck Surviving is for immediacy; it is
thought I was living the dream only in a pattern that prevents success. not to be a long-term strategy.
to discover it was the beginning of You might call what you doing A survival kit is not the same as
a nightmare. I was banned from “Patience, waiting it out, or giving a thrive kit. Survival kits provide
the last game of the Olympics and yourself a much-needed break.” band-aids to get through the
of my career because I reported These are the lies I told myself moment, but slapping band-aids
that my head coach had sexually back in 1988 when I lived in room on a gaping wound won’t stop
harassed me. As a result, I was the size of queen-sized mattress, the bleeding. Thriving means
imprisoned in the locker room drank cheap booze, and beat taking new acti on, changing your
and unable to play or even watch myself up for failing to navigate thinking, and not allowing outside
the last game. One month later, I the sexual harassment situation circumstances to determine your
was terminated as the assistant better. course of action.
national team coach, a position I
was supposed to assume after the Survival Mode Is Not Thrive Mode Getting To The Root Cause
Olympics.
At that time during my life, moving You are in survival mode if you: During the past nine months, I
forward seemed impossible. Excessively blame others for your have interviewed over 150 CEO’s,
Because I did not possess the current life status. Vice-Presidents, and Presidents
tools to move forward, I remained Allow negative energy to of organizations for my upcoming
angry, apathetic, frustrated, dominate your life. book, Winning Leadership: Seven
disappointed, and depressed for Are hunkered down to wait out Secrets to Employee Champions
months. the pandemic. and Sales Superstars. One of the
Avoid acting when an opportunity questi ons that I asked every
I was in survival mode just like arises. interviewee was: “What is the
many people are doing right now Tell yourself that tomorrow you biggest leadership challenge that
during COVID-19. will start feeling, acting, being you’ve had to overcome?”
different.
The idea of moving forward is Permit fear to stop you from Seventy percent of the respondents
not the most prevalent thought taking calculated business risks. said, “Myself.”
in most people’s minds during Believe pivoting another direction
the last several months. While is too difficult.
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