Check out last week’s newsletter: Engineering vs. Entrepreneurship: Why I’m Choosing Both

A Masterclass in Not Losing Your Cool

What do you do when things don’t go as planned?

Do you completely shut down or are you able to take a minute or two for regrouping then figure out your plan of attack?

Real-time example from just a few days ago when I had to figure things out on the fly…

I had been in Reno, Nevada for work all week and was flying to California for a conference on Thursday night.

Not a typical week for me, but also not foreign either. I originally had my flight into San Diego and it was a direct flight, but then my flight got delayed. While I was waiting to board, I realized that I had somehow forgotten to book a rental car.

“No problem,” so I thought. “I’ll just book a rental and I’ll be squared away.”

Well, when I went to make the reservation, I got some disturbing news…

I refreshed my phone several times in disbelief to learn that there were no available rental cars. After about a minute of shear panic (Proof that I’m human)

I went through a few different options, but then finally decided on rebooking my flight to fly into LAX instead of San Diego.

I confirmed with the gate agent that I wouldn’t have any issues getting my bag and then sat back down and worked on things for about an hour until my new flight was going to take off.

I was now connecting through Las Vegas, which I didn’t love, but it made life easier on me in the long run so I could live with it. But now, another issue was brewing...

This flight was also delayed and by the time I left, my flight wasn’t scheduled to land until after my connecting flight was already going to begin boarding. I was praying hard that I would land in the same terminal.

As we got up to the gate after landing, I watched in horror as we pulled into the C gates and I had to go to the B gates off in the distance. Luckily the flight attendants made an announcement to stay seated if you didn’t have a tight connection (S/O to Southwest!) and I did my part of telling people my flight was already boarding as I squeezed my way through and got ready to make a run for it.

I booked it down the gates for about a minute before running out of gas, slowing down to a jog, and finally making it to my connecting flight with minutes to spare. I landed in LAX safely and waited for my bags to come out so I could head to the hotel for the conference I was speaking at the next day. I kept waiting... and then bags stopped coming out.

My bag never made it to LAX.

I discovered my bag was in San Diego and would be flown out in the morning to Irvine. The only problem? I was speaking the next day, the conference started in the morning, and it was currently midnight.

Fortunately, my bag made it to town by noon. I was able to get changed and ready for my talk, and I actually recounted this whole saga to kick things for my talk that I did for my nonprofit.

The Lesson

Here is the thing about resilience: It’s not about avoiding the chaos; it’s about how you manage yourself while you're standing in the middle of it. If I had spiraled when I realized I had no car, I never would have made the pivot to LAX. If I had given up when I saw the terminal map in Vegas, I’d still be in Nevada.

Resilience is a muscle. You build it by choosing to look for the next "right move" instead of dwelling on the "wrong turn." When you stay calm and lean on your resources (and some helpful flight attendants), you'll find that you're capable of handling way more than you think.

Want more on this?

I’m diving deep into this topic today on the podcast especially in leadership. If you want to learn how to keep you or your team steady when the "luggage hits the fan," you need to check out the new episode of IncrediPaul Leadership! We’re talking all about Resilience in Leadership and I have a great interview for you!

TL;DR A whirlwind travel day involving missed rental cars, rebooked flights to different cities, and a literal sprint through the Vegas airport ended with my luggage in a completely different city. Despite the chaos, staying calm and resourceful got me—and eventually my bag—to the stage on time for my speaking gig.

STREAM THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

In this conversation, Paul Faronbi interviews Russell Harvey, a resilience coach with over 20 years of experience in leadership and organizational development. They discuss the true meaning of resilience, emphasizing the importance of learning and growth rather than merely bouncing back from challenges. Russell shares his journey into resilience coaching, the significance of leadership in fostering resilience, and the impact of line management on employee well-being. The conversation also touches on the balance between optimism and reality, different leadership styles, and the necessity of personal development in resilience. Russell's personal experiences with resilience, including facing redundancy and supporting his wife's health challenges, provide a relatable context to the discussion. The episode concludes with insights on the entrepreneurial mindset and the importance of self-leadership.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE

INCREDIPAUL AMBASSDORS

This is the last week to submit your application to be an IncrediPaul Ambassador!

CHECK OUT RECENT EPISODES OF INCREDIPAUL LEADERSHIP

Reminder new episodes come out every Monday at 6am Central Time. Check it out by going to incredipaul.org/podcast or stream on the following platforms: YouTube, Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon and More.

If you enjoy getting the newsletter use the link below to share it!

Reply back to this email and let me know if you have any key takeaways from this episode or past episodes or if there’s a particular topic or person you’d like to see on a future show!

I know newsletters aren’t for everyone or maybe this isn’t what you thought. You won’t hurt my feelings if you unsubscribe using the button below.

IncrediPaul