185: Facing Economic Uncertainty and Fear in Your Career

leaders, even individual contributors in companies that I’ve been speaking with about career development, about advancing and accelerating their next promotion, about balance and lifestyle, all the things that are so important here at the Oasis of Courage, our coaching company, the amount of fear and uncertainty Present in the hearts and minds of these engineering leaders is escalating.

[00:00:42] It’s growing. There’s so many more things happening in the broader economy, in the decisions that senior leadership and companies are making, and You’re feeling that that squeeze, you’re feeling that uncertainty. I was speaking with Justin just this past week. Justin’s a senior leader who his company’s being acquired by private equity, and he’s not sure if the culture of the company is going to be preserved.

[00:01:07] He’s not sure if his role is still going to exist. He’s not sure if he wants to stay in that organization. After the acquisition. So he’s looking for something new or even considering entrepreneurship before that transaction is completed. I was speaking with Jeff, Jeff planned a six month sabbatical, and when he started looking for work again, that’s six months extended to nine months extended to 12 months, and he still has not landed a role at his level that he’s excited about.

[00:01:41] In fact, even getting interviews. has gotten that much harder, and the fear is mounting every month that he doesn’t land a job. It feels even harder to get out of this, break, this sabbatical. So a planned break is now becoming an unplanned break, and he’s watching his bank account. And you can imagine that’s a really scary place to be.

[00:02:02] I was speaking with Jesse, Jesse graduated from college during COVID and she could not find a job in the mechanical engineering field that excited her everything happening in the world at that time made it really difficult to find work. So she went and found something else just to meet her needs, pay her bills.

[00:02:23] And here she is in 2024, still not working in the field that she worked so hard to get her degree. And she wants to step into an engineering career, but doesn’t know where to begin. And doesn’t know how to tell a good story about a really untraditional resume. I could tell you six, 12, 20 more stories like this, but uncertainty is growing.

[00:02:51] And for the engineering mind, for you and me as logical, analytical, often introverted, often really focused on Y equals F of X, you know, thinking about life in first principles, thinking about life like an engineer would that uncertainty can create a really challenging environment for accelerating your career.

[00:03:17] To grow, to get to something new and better than what you have now means taking a risk and stepping away from what you currently have. We’ve talked about this on the podcast before that to step into something great means letting go of something good and good is the enemy of great. Jim Collins taught us that in his book, good to great.

[00:03:40] All of these principles are tied together and uncertainty is a it brews, it breeds, that fear keeps us on the back foot, keeps us on our heels, keeps us squarely in the comfort zone. Tony Robbins has a great model. He talks about the six human needs. And the first two are certainty, that need for Stable, predictable confidence in our life, things that we can count on to know that we’ll have a home to step into at the end of the day, to know that we’ll be fed, that our next meal is coming.

[00:04:22] Certainty that we can do work that matters. Certainty that next paycheck will hit your bank account. Certainty. Humans need certainty. You and I as engineers are often biased. On that side. In fact, at work, what are we looking for in our designs? What are we looking for in the way that we create products and services, how we write code?

[00:04:46] We want certainty, right? Predictable, consistent, stable results, a control chart that looks healthy, right? Well, the second human need is the counterbalance to that. It’s uncertainty. It’s the need for. Something to be a surprise, to be able to go on an adventure, to explore something new, to take a risk, to experience the world and have that sense of newness.

[00:05:16] Alright, if everything was predictable, if you already knew what was going to happen around every corner in your life, on the one hand, that might sound really nice, like a relief, especially in the middle of a time like this, where there is so much uncertainty. But the truth is That would just be incredibly boring.

[00:05:37] We would not even want to wake up in the morning after just a few days or weeks like that. You don’t actually want to know every single outcome that’s going to come. You just want every unexpected outcome to be good, right? the things that are uncertain and good, we call surprises. We call adventure.

[00:05:58] We call the love and the flavor and the spice of life. It’s those uncertain things that end up being bad, by our own definition, a layoff, a sudden acquisition by private equity, a new leader who you don’t like, a toxic boss. These changes that were uncertain, we call problems. As a human, we still need the balance and the dance of both certainty and uncertainty.

[00:06:32] One of the qualities of amazing leaders and a quality that you must develop within yourself, if you want to thrive in an economy that is uncertain, if you want to thrive in a company. Where things are uncertain layoffs may be coming. I had at least three or four of my clients this past week. Share with me.

[00:06:59] Oh, we’re so relieved because the VP or the CEO of our company said that there won’t be any more layoffs for the rest of the year. And I hope that that’s a true statement, but it’s interesting how someone else saying there’ll be no more layoffs. Oh, now we can all relax. Well, you and I both know if something dramatic changes in the world in that time, that may or may not be true.

[00:07:25] It’s still uncertain, but we hang our confidence on that belief, that statement, because the VP said so. A quality of great leadership is for you to be able to create. Certainty when there is none, the ability to create certainty in the face of uncertainty, that is a quality that you must develop. It’s the quality of every great leader who’s ever lived is the ability to face a big unknown and to create confidence, faith, trust, certainty for themselves.

[00:08:11] First and foremost. so that the people who follow them can feel that energy of certainty, buy into that belief and follow with confidence. Just like when the CEO or VP says, there’s no more layoffs. All of the engineering team takes a sigh of relief and gets focused on their work again because they’re buying into the belief, they’re buying into the certainty that that leader gave to them.

[00:08:45] Even though you and I both know that the economy is still uncertain. You and I both know that that person’s job isn’t even certain. What if that CEO takes a different position in a month and the new CEO comes in and does a sweeping layoff? These things are all possible. It is uncertain, but because that leader stepped into that moment with certainty, with confidence.

[00:09:13] It changes the energy and it allows you to focus on your work, which is what we need to be successful in the company. And in fact, that act of creating certainty has a ripple effect of certainty in the org that allows us to do the right things, work hard on what’s most important right in front of us, instead of gossiping around the water cooler about, will there be more layoffs?

[00:09:38] Will there be more layoffs? And that is what creates the outcome that the leader wanted in the first place. When we all do our best work, instead of doing halfhearted work, fearful of a layoff, it increases the likelihood that we won’t need any more layoffs. Are you with me? Creating certainty in the face of uncertainty is something that we must develop within ourselves as leaders.

[00:10:07] And this won’t just be true during tough economic times. You know, people like Jeff, people like Justin, people like Jesse, they’re going through a more difficult season. And a lot of engineering leaders are, you might be as well. And if you’re facing fear, if you’re facing uncertainty, In the growth of your career, what you must do in a time like this is learn to create confidence, to create certainty in that environment.

[00:10:40] It’ll be true in all environments that this quality will serve you, it will help you, but it’s especially important right now. How do we do this? This is why mindset is the foundation, the very base component. Of the lifestyle engineering blueprint model. The model that we coach through at the oasis of courage, the model that all of my clients work on is this foundation of mindset with purpose, priority, productivity, people, and a playbook built on top, but mindset is the foundation, the blueprint is built on it.

[00:11:16] And Carol Dweck. In her absolutely brilliant book, Mindset, and her life’s work around this concept of the growth mindset, you’ve probably heard of it, going from a fixed mindset to growth. That idea is fundamental to one of the core strategies in how we create certainty. And I want to give you one action, one exercise that will help you to shift from fear, doubt, towards confidence, faith, trust, and certainty in yourself, in your career, in your future.

[00:11:59] it’s simple, but if you’ll do it and you’ll do it often, if you’ll use it every time that fear creeps in, it’s really powerful. Creating certainty Is often about becoming conscious of what you’re placing your certainty in and remembering back to the things that you’ve overcome in the past, that increased belief that you can overcome something again in the future.

[00:12:27] So here’s the exercise to shift towards the growth mindset, to create certainty. In the face of uncertainty, we’re going to shift away from faith in the economy, faith in the thing that’s out of my control, and shift to a confidence and a faith in the pieces I can control. And the core piece that’s in your control is yourself.

[00:12:56] Reflect back. On your life to the times when you have gone through unexpected challenge problems, barriers, setbacks, roadblocks. Think about those times and how you got through it. In the past, the things you’ve overcome in your life, the challenges that you have had victory over, even if it came after a long period of low points, it may have felt like a defeat at the time, but you came out of it.

[00:13:27] Maybe you went through a layoff in the past and you did find another job. Maybe you went through like I did a really tough divorce and you recovered from that and your life is back on track. I’m happily remarried. Maybe in your life. You went through the loss of a loved one, and it really knocked you off your game.

[00:13:49] But you went through the grieving process, you got to a place of peace, and you’re back on track. Your life is going great. Maybe something totally crazy that I could never think of happened to you. And it was completely unfair, and it was completely unjust, and no one saw it coming. But you got through it.

[00:14:10] You moved through the mess. Your resiliency has grown, your strength has grown, and your life is in a better place today because of it. You’ve turned that set back into a setup for a great future. I know you have those stories. I know you have those moments in your past. Take some time to reflect back on the challenges you’ve already overcome.

[00:14:35] Celebrate in your heart and mind what you came through and how it created your character. And shaped who you are today, how it made you better. And remember that no matter what uncertainty or fear that you’re facing now, it’s not that you and I stand today, totally confident and certain about what’s going to happen in the economy.

[00:14:59] Will there be more layoffs? Will there be more unexpected negative things that happen around us? It could happen, but have confidence and certainty in the fact that no matter what happens, you are the kind of person. Who finds a way through that you will figure it out, that you will put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

[00:15:20] Place your certainty in your ability to grow your ability to overcome your ability to learn and get better. In the growth mindset, in your own character, strength, resiliency, grit, determination, perseverance, that’s where we’re going to place our certainty. One of the powerful strategies to create certainty in the face of fear, to create certainty in the face of uncertainty, to have confidence when you’re afraid.

[00:15:53] pull back. The moments of your past into your conscious mind. My certainty doesn’t come from the outer world. It comes from my inner world. And if you’ll make that shift and bring that energy into the workplace tomorrow. Yeah. You hear me? Are you with me? Bring the energy of confidence in that we can overcome no matter what happens.

[00:16:20] Bring that into the workplace tomorrow. Bring that into your family. Bring that into your own personal life. And let that be the catalyst to confidence. Look, if you still want to grow during hard times, I promise you, you can. In fact, when times are tough and everybody else is afraid and uncertain, that’s when some of the biggest wins are possible.

[00:16:48] If you look at companies during depressions, recessions, and difficult times is when many companies make their greatest climbs. Companies that have been around for a hundred years plus Go study their history, and you’ll see example after example that it was during tough times that they made their biggest gains.

[00:17:08] It’s the companies that double down on their marketing and their brand and their products and their quality during a tough time that make the biggest gains. It’s the ones who pull back in fear and cut all the budgets that tend to create The death and doom spiral that we’re all worried about in the first place.

[00:17:27] The fear creates an action that just reinforces and creates a self blame. fulfilling prophecy. If you will take this and practice it, if you will begin building your confidence and your certainty in the face of whatever it is that’s going on for you, you have the opportunity to make the biggest gains of your career during a time that is Just like this, it’s already happening.

[00:17:54] I’m thinking of Chris, Chris just landed a director promotion when everything else in his company is going haywire. And the VP said, it’s your attitude. It’s your confidence. It’s your leadership that helped us to go to bat for your promotion. Be like, Chris, lean in, double down. Now’s the time. Lots is going on around us.

[00:18:15] Uncertainty is rampant. Most engineers shut down and are afraid in a time like this. You don’t have to be that person. And if you need help stepping into that certainty, and if you want to put the strategies and actions in place to really hit the gas in this season of your career, if you’re ready for promotion, you’re ready for something new, you’re ready to focus on growth and balance, then join us in the blueprint program.

[00:18:42] It’s a perfect opportunity. reach out. You can always send me an email. You can hit me on LinkedIn, or if you want to grab a time with our team, just have a quick chat about where you’re stuck, where you need help and see if the program is a fit for you.

[00:18:55] You can send a text, the word lifestyle, just that one word. If you’ll text us the word lifestyle, the number is five, five, four, four, four. It’s just a short code. Text the word lifestyle. We’ll send you back a link. You can grab a time.

[00:19:10] It’s just 15 minutes. We’ll have a quick chat and make sure that what you’re up against is something we can help you with. And if it is, then we’ll get you on my calendar. You and I can have a conversation and we’ll go deep, build a roadmap for you, and I’ll share with you how we can help you to get those results.

[00:19:26] Now’s the time. Don’t let fear win. Let’s go create confidence in the face of the unknown. Let’s do this.