At last, we know the truth about President Barack Obama’s heritage: He’s Javanese.
Culturally speaking, of course.
According to Janny Scott, author of “A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother,” a biography of Stanley Ann Dunham, Obama’s mother, the Javanese attribute the president’s coolness under fire to his upbringing in Indonesia. (Java is its largest island.) As Scott said on NPR’s “Fresh Air,” young Barry, as Obama was then called, might have honed his composure in reaction to being teased mercilessly by classmates, some even throwing stones at him. His “crime”? Being darker-skinned than other children. Obama endured.
Javanese regard such composure as a symbol of strength, and so do I, though no person I know would condone the harsh treatment Obama endured as a child. Obama might have gained insight into what it means to rise above the fray as a child, but it takes some of us years to develop or, in the case of hotheads, not develop at all.
Composure is a desired leadership attribute. I have often told the story of battalion commanders on the scene of a major fire. Amid the smoke and fire and heat, commanders radiate sheer calmness. Emotions might be roiling inside, but outwardly they are cool as a cucumber.
Their coolness leads to something I call the clarity to see complexity. By not succumbing to a maelstrom of chaos, they keep their heads clear to think through the possibilities. It is noted that during preparations for the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, President Obama, amid the tension, radiated calmness. That is a leader’s job. Giving into emotion would be counterproductive. One, it would frighten subordinates, and two, it would muddy the mind’s ability to focus on the options.
For some leaders, composure is a birthright. They take to coolness like a duck to water. It comes as second nature. For others, it must be cultivated — and not easily. As an executive coach, I urge executives to learn to control their emotions through a few simple techniques.
- Breathe deeply. In the heat of the moment, there is a tendency to breathe rapidly. So take a deep breathe. Feel the breath come into your lungs. Exhale, then repeat a few times. It slows things down.
- Relax your facial muscles. Tension is evident on our faces. So be conscious of how you look. Rub your cheeks and flex them. Smile if appropriate, as a means of reassuring others.
- Keep your voice lower. When tension rises, people speak more quickly and with more emotion. A leader’s job is to keep calm. So speak slowly and at a lower pitch. Others will notice and maybe follow suit.
And here’s one technique a colleague of mine, Donald Altman, a psychotherapist and author of “The Mindfulness Code: Keys for Overcoming Stress, Anxiety, Fear, and Unhappiness,” taught me. Raise your arms and bring your hands together. Join your fingertips together. Then close your eyes and think about the stress you are feeling. Press your fingers together tightly, then hold it. After a moment, begin to release pressure slowly, starting with your upper arms and ending with your fingertips. You will feel the physical tension — and maybe the stress — ebb away.
Remaining composed under pressure is not the answer to all leadership challenges, but for my money, I would rather follow an executive who keeps it together than one who is wild-eyed and restlessly pacing.
John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership-development consultant, executive coach, author and speaker. In 2011, Leadership Gurus International ranked Baldoni No. 11 on its list of the world’s top leadership experts. Baldoni is the author of nine books on leadership, including “Lead By Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results” and “Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up.” Readers are welcome to visit Baldoni’s website, JohnBaldoni.com.
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I find that extracting yourself from the office heat, often just phoning a friend and praying in the loo is the ultimate way to keep cool when under pressure – worth reading a book by Ken Costa called "God at Work" – some great tips
wow. what vitriolic comments about a person and their ethnicity. Fine. You don't like Obama but let's keep comments constructive to the subject matter. Perhaps, taking the advice breath deeply should be accompanied by think before you spew.
It's sad that any time a political figure is mentioned, on one side or the other, people lose their minds and can't see the bigger point. These comments so far are why I sometimes long for the days when people's opinions were only heard by their five ignorant friends.
John, your points are right on. When leaders freak out, it's especially infectious, and it makes people lose respect.
You mentioned relaxing facial muscles. Calm hands are key, too. Calm hands, calm man.
Thanks
Reaaalllly!! What a bunch of fluff. What's next? Holding Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon up as examples of humility and integrity.
Its all going nowhere. May be example from history could have elicited respectful reaction without changing the thrust of the topic. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Madella would have been better examples.
Deep breaths, calming your self while under extreme pressure are the techniques from Yoga which if practiced on daily basis is good for our being.
My comments had nothing to do with his politics – absolutely nothing. I merely referenced the beginning example of the article and that I thought it was false based on the President's past performances. That has absolutely NOTHING to do with his policies. If you go back and read my comments you will not be able to tell what my political beliefs are. I merely said that thinking fast on his feet is not in his wheelhouse – where in that statement is there anything political? The next item was a comparison to him speaking with a teleprompter and without is like comparing Mel Tillis to his singing and him speaking. Again, where is the politics in that statement. You people need to get over yourselves.
americans make interesting read especially when you bored and have nothing to do. they do make for comics when they speak and comment on issues. guys, i love the way you do your stuff … you just kicked the boredom away from me and i see there’s people in life who enjoy and just feel happy kicking at each other. trying to prove whose intelligent than the other … you go boys
in my last comment I failed to point out that you want to do all this in-fighting and earth destrution with smiling faces while killing billions, subjecting millions to poverty for self-enrichment and completely destroying the earth. it is nice that you want to find ways to do all this with extreme calmness, sense of purpose and self-righteousness
I remember when i was working with a Barangay Justice… i got too manny instances of clients who really had hare dispute. Without noticing i was always calm and somebody told me that they noticed it and this helped them much. and the case were easily settled… this blog is true and totally useful for a leader..
Great points; a hothead disposition amidst adversity gives everyone the indication that you are not in control. I think all business people can gain value from cooling down and remaining calm under stress.
[...] How to Keep it Cool When the Heat’s On By GSHCC, on May 12th, 2011 By John Baldoni and originally published by smartblogs.com [...]
Thanks for the suggestions! I love the last paragraph especially. You are right. I think as a leader, you really need to show calmness and it will rub off on your colleagues. If you want everyone to be able to think straight when you need it the most, you as a leader must be calm first and everyone will follow your lead.