By Scott Nichols

One of my goals I constantly think about is how to become a better leader. Being a leader isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. When most people think they want to be a leader, they only see the good, because a good leader can and will hide the bad.

The problem is, it’s hard to be a good leader when you’re having a bad day. But I’ve come up with a few items I’ve found throughout the years to work for me when I’m having a bad day. I think it’s important to work on this most days because, if you don’t, bad days can make you want to quit.

I am not claiming to be a specialist or doctor of anything but what I can do is share my experiences with you in the hopes you can realize how to become a better leader.

Check My Mood Daily

Pause, stop! I want you to listen to yourself. I want you to take a moment and realize what type of mood you are in today. Maybe you’re having a great day or you’re having a bad one. Maybe you’re like me most of the time and you’re somewhere floating around in the middle of good and bad. I fight this all the time. Why can’t we just have all good to great days?

Now, literally pause, stop, and listen to yourself.  What put you in this mood? Was it how you woke up?  Lack of sleep? Was it a comment someone else made? Why is your thinking negative or positive? If I’m having a crappy day, I try and change that by fixing my surroundings. I might change the music I’m listening to, read success stories, and find people who are having a good day and surround myself with them.  f I am having a bad day due to work, I’ll find a coffee shop where I can create a plan and think.

As a leader, I think it’s vital to figure this out. It’s important because, in my eyes (which isn’t always right), leaders are supposed to absorb all the punches thrown at them and find a way to fix the problem. This is a constant battle because if you are dealing with the punches, it’s hard to find the victories. Find the victories; it’s important! Leaders like to win, and winning is what brings them back every day.

Surround Yourself With Other Leaders   

I have taken notice in the past few years of who I want to surround myself and spend time with. I was feeling like my life was like the rat race. I didn’t want what I was currently doing to be it. I wanted more, and I knew to get more I need to learn how to get more.

I started to spend a lot more time with people who were leaders. One of my friends from high school owns a 40-million-dollar business. Another runs the second largest soccer club in the state. Another is the Vice President of the largest property management company for warehousing in my area. And, lastly, I really start to pay attention to my boss and question (politely) his decision-making. I made sure to have lunch and phone conversations with these people and do anything I could to get in front of them. I learned a lot from them, and I feel it has allowed me to become a better leader.

A lot of the advice I received didn’t come in the way of “do this,” “do that,” and “this is how it’s done.” It came in the way of hearing stories and sharing stories. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was to stay focused on the goal you’re pursuing. Don’t allow others to come in and derail you from reaching it.  This was one area I struggled with.

Other People’s Comments

I started to notice when I was having a good day it was because I received good news, and when I had a bad day, it was because I received bad news. If I was placed somewhere between the good and bad days, it was usually because I had little to no news. I allowed myself to get up or down based on what other people would say. We would get a complaint from a customer that would start a wave of thinking.  Should I change the way we are doing something because we had this one customer complaint? I would go through these thoughts in my head, and I would fool myself into thinking this part of the system is broken. In reality, Iwas wrong.  Yes, we had one complaint, but there were thousands of people who didn’t complain!

I have people in my life who, when I answer their phone call, it’s nothing short of” the world is coming to an end.” Know the source of the conversation and put the conversation in perspective. In addition, if you’re having that bad day, just ignore these types of calls.

Being a leader can be a very lonely place. When things aren’t working out well, the fingers are pointed at you. My goal for you is to limit the number of bad days by recognizing what your bad day is really about. And, if something is more serious, please make sure you get the proper help.