David Sandler summarized it best when he commented, “You can’t lose something you never had.” The mature leader understands this.
The younger leader is busy getting emotionally invested in the outcome of a goal/wish to such an extent that s/he feels like s/he’s already obtained the goal. Then they go through that which is sometimes a prolonged period of grief (see the Grief Cycle poster) over the “loss” of their wish. When actually the ultimate decision about whether the goal is going to be theirs is outside of their control. Another person makes the final decision.
Then when the leader doesn’t obtain the goal, s/he feels like s/he lost something. However, s/he didn’t lose anything (no matter how they feel) as s/he never actually had it in his/her grasp.
How to maintain this important perspective can be explored in other posters such as Emotional Investment and Invest In The Process.
Categories: Negotiating, Vitality
Magic Club Leadership Resources 