The international conflict between Russia and Ukraine presented itself as the perfect opportunity for small business leaders to execute one of our favorite activities: creating a smokescreen in front of us to distract ourselves from taking care of our businesses. Although the conflict is real, and our business might be affected by it long-term, we can’t do anything about it now. So, why do we insist on creating these scenarios, and how can we stop them from living rent-free in our heads?

Today, I have the perfect guest to help me answer these questions and help us dissipate these smokescreens, Andrew Neitlich. Andrew is a Cultural Anthropologist who graduated from Harvard University and got his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also the Founder and Director of the Center of Executive Coaching, my mentor, and a dear friend. 

In this episode, we get right through the middle of why it is so common between leaders and entrepreneurs to get distracted and concentrate their time and energy on things they can’t control. Using his unique style, cutting the BS, and going straight to the point, Andrew shares some golden nuggets of why smokescreens are so common among entrepreneurs and leaders of small businesses and offers a couple of practical solutions. We also talk about culture, learning to discern between what’s urgent and what’s important, the ability to find opportunities in crisis, and more. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Focusing on the things we can control that have an immediate effect on our success (7:41)
• We must get good at recognizing the things that really matter to us and our business (11:21)
• The three main elements of a leader’s dashboard (12:27)
• As a leader, we get what we tolerate (17:15)
• The courage and stoicism required to start and maintain a successful business nowadays (23:30)

Resources

• Center For Executive Coaching website