The worst moments are your best opportunity

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Salaam and Greetings,

I smiled at myself as I read this article. Attending the Army Day Parade at the Dataran Merdeka this morning, truly reminded me of what this article meant to me.

It reminded me of my days in the Army, yes a life time away. I was at the Parade by invitation by some former Army colleagues who insisted me attending. One of them reminded me, and in his words “You r one of them some years ago. Come c your army”. Can’t argue that. I was one of them. Proud of that too. Learned a lot too. Especially when it comes to leadership.

One of the things the Army put us through was in what we would call “Hell on Earth”. They pushed us, stretched us, to the point where you think you just can’t take it anymore, and guess what, they stretched and pushed us even more.

Our instructors were pushing us to see what we are made of. To see our natural self. At this worst breaking point, you really show your true self. Yes, I broke a couple of times. Then I realize I was not as cool and collected as I thought of myself. It took a lot more training, and exposure to many more experiences, that I learned to have more self control.

I learned it is easy to be a leader in a calm, comfortable, all tools are there, situation. But, when you are tired, on the go for three straight days and nights with no sleep at all, wet, cold, hungry, tired, fatigued, exhaustion, and in pain, it is hard to think about the well being of your men, except your own.

I have seen in my experience in the corporate world, many “leaders” lose their executive coolness, due to frivolous things like, the microphone, the projector, or the laptop doesn’t function well. If such things can make them lose it, I shudder to think how they would react on a worst case situation.

Yes, the worst moments, are your best opportunity, to learn and rise to the challenge. Sounds cliché, but the reason clichés stay through the test of time, is because, it is true. By putting ourselves out of our comfort zone, can we truly say we were tested and triumphed. I learned that when I was in the Army. Now, even the worst, pales in comparison what I went through in the Army.

But, will I want to go through “Hell on Earth” again? Nope. Not even if you pay me. Once is enough.

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The worst moments are your best opportunity

That's how we judge you and how we remember you.

You are presumed to be showing us your real self when you are on deadline, have a headache, are facing a customer service meltdown, haven't had a good night's sleep, are facing an ethical dilemma, are momentarily in power, are caught doing something when you thought no one else was looking, are irritable, have the opportunity to extract revenge, are losing a competition or are truly overwhelmed.

What a great opportunity to tell the story you'd like us to hear about you.

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