This article was originally published on Echelon Front’s Platoon Hut website.
At some point in your life, you will deal with a personal crisis: death of a loved one, serious medical diagnosis, divorce, job loss. These extreme times can be incredibly stressful, disorienting and crippling. We cannot anticipate when we will be hit, but we can train now and be better equipped to navigate those challenges.
There are four commitments you can make now to prepare for an unforeseen crisis. Strengthening these now will provide you with the foundation you need later:
- Work hard to become an effective leader. Have a relentless attitude about learning to implement the 4 Laws of Combat (Cover and Move, Simple, Prioritize & Execute, Decentralized Command). Never be satisfied that you have it all figured out and pursue improvement every day. A crisis is the wrong time to start preparing. Prepare now and you will have the tools to begin getting back on your feet once the storm hits.
- Build relationship with everyone you meet. Each day, you will have opportunities to build trust or break it. Commit to building relationship with everyone you meet. When we build relationship, we become better parents, spouses, friends and coworkers. When the crisis hits, those people will be there for you.
- Practice gratitude. Be thankful for what you have. When relationship, health, possession, or job is taken from you, you will see how sacrifice and loss can still lead to opportunity. You will find light in the darkness.
- Always have a mission. As leaders, practice setting and achieving goals both big and small. When crisis hits, our new mission can be very apparent: survival. As we emerge from crisis we will likely need to define a new mission. When you have already practiced setting and achieving goals, identifying even the smallest new mission will be impact your ability to stand up, move forward and make the most of your new life.
A Career in Orchestra Operations 