IN SEARCH OF TRANQUILITY

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."

James Allen (1864-1912) British-born American essayist

Is tranquility a goal and if so is it achievable?

Thomas Jefferson leaves to question what he thinks.

"Tranquility is the old man's milk."

17th century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes does not mince words:

"There is no such thing as perpetual tranquillity of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense."

I see it being some of all of this while hoping it is not all of some of this.

The Devil Is The Devil You Don't Know

"For it is not death or hardship that is a fearful thing, but the fear of death and hardship."

Epictetus

1st century Greek philosopher

In business as in our personal lives, we fear what we do not know.

Replace unknowns and assumptions with facts.  Verify, plan, and the right path will become clear, the fear diminished.

Execution: Making it Look Easy

"The greatest efforts in sports came when the mind is as still as a glass lake."

Timothy Gallwey
Tennis Coach, Author

I know that "glass lake" calmness feeling.

It comes when you just know you are prepared, usually after a lot of hard work getting ready.

Do you think this only applies to sports?

I don't.

Management: Proactive or Reactive?

"Sit quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself."

Zen

I can be as pastoral as the next guy and my years of yoga have helped me see the value of quiet, passive reflection. I also admire those who remain calm during turbulent times, particularly business managers who do so.

But being calm is not the same as sitting quietly and under certain circumstances, if we want the "grass to grow" we'd better do something to see that it does.

What about you?

Sitting quietly, doing nothing waiting for the "grass" to grow this "spring" or . . . ?

Management: One Thing More Than Any Other

"Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened, but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Were I to pick one trait I value most in a manager it is the ability to stay calm during times of upheaval.

Few great leaders lose control for long if at all. They are as Stevenson said, "like a clock during a thunderstorm", able to function while others around them cannot.

What about you? What is the one managerial trait at the top of your list?