A some point you’ll likely ask yourself: “Do I have what it takes to be really successful at what I do?”
Role models provide clues to the answer. Look hard at what they’ve achieve and you’ll see they were willing to put themselves “out there.”
Now ask yourself, “Can I handle it when all eyes are on me?” Your answer either makes your blood run cold or excites you. In either case, it’s time to get prepared.
Understanding the big stage
Many of us go merrily along in our careers as part of a work group or team. We do our part but always in the context of others.
If we want our careers to grow, we need to demonstrate our unique talents and leadership to a broader audience.
You know you’re on the big stage when you look around and realize, at that moment, you’re alone with all the responsibility to perform exceptionally. There’s no one to lean on, save the day, or absorb the consequences.
It’s up to you alone to deliver your best and deal with the outcome.
Examples of big stage performers are everywhere:
- Singles tennis players facing an opponent across the net in front of 10,000 spectators, many of whom are not rooting for them; they’re on their own–no coach, no trainer, no teammate
- Live TV news anchors who carry their programs, changing gears seamlessly as updates are communicated through their ear pieces; there’s no stopping to catch their breaths, no one to bail them out.
- Keynote speakers who need show up and then hold the attention of diverse audiences while delivering a meaningful message; there’s no one to step in when it’s not going well
- Surgeons who literally have the lives and/or future well-being of patients in their hands, while other medical professionals watch; all accountability for the outcome is on them
There’s a big stage in every profession whether you’re a teacher/trainer, attorney, dancer, project manager, business owner, sales executive, or community leader.
It can be a lonely place or an exhilarating one. If you want to rise, you need to be able to take the stage when called upon and handle the inevitable heat.
Preparing for your role
Only a fool willingly steps onto the big stage before s/he’s ready.
When it’s our turn for the spotlight, we need to be equipped to handle the pressure. Advanced preparation is essential. We need to hone our skills, make a plan, practice, and visualize what success looks like.
We also need to be ready for the unexpected.
So, take a readiness assessment by asking yourself, “While all eyes are on me, will be I able to:”
- Deliver the goods
- Switch gears when I need to
- Deal with or ignore distractions
- Be mentally tough enough to stay on track
- Use humor to defuse or deflect a misstep or issue
- Trust what I know and my ability to execute my skills
- Take advantage of opportunities to hit a home run
- Draw on the energy of the moment to maintain motivation
Then work on things that need strengthening.
It’s easy to get freaked out about the big stage. We let ourselves get paralyzed by the pressure and the irrational belief that we might fail in such a big way that our careers will be ruined.
Don’t let that be you. Winners avoid beating themselves.
Pressure is your friend.
It wakes up your brain and gives it something exciting to process.
If you don’t believe that think of all the people who have failed at one business only to succeed at another, lost one election and won a bigger one, finished out of the money in numerous golf tournaments and then won a championship.
If you don’t work to get on the big stage and take your place when it’s offered, you’ll have no chance of grabbing your brass ring. You must play to win.
Succumbing to the fear of failure invites failure. Learning how to contend with pressure on the big stage is the path to career success and a special pride in yourself. Let the show go on!
Photo from loop_oh via Flickr
“Succumbing to the fear of failure invites failure. Learning how to contend with pressure on the big stage is the path to career success and a special pride in yourself. Let the show go on!” So true Dawn. I know for me that pressure did not always feel like a friend. At times it made me prepare and be ready for the big stage, in other instances it made me give up, at least for a while.
Me too, Cherry. Sometimes the more I prepared the more pressure I felt, until I pulled off whatever big stage moment I was in. We have to practice grappling with the pressure, instead of avoiding it. Sometimes it’s nice to be naive about the pressure and the potential pitfalls. Nike’s slogan is still a powerful one: Just do it! Thanks for another helpful comment! ~Dawn
Nice post Dawn. I especially liked this quote “Winners avoid beating themselves.” It really resonated! Thanks for the post!
Thanks, Kelly. So glad you liked it. I love that line too and have heard many versions of it in sports commentary. It’s always stuck with me too and I admit that at times I have flirted with being my own worst enemy. When I’m teetering, I often repeat that line to myself and rebalance. Great to hear from you! ~Dawn
Great post Dawn! I’ve actually been thinking about that list of skills you mentioned and which ones I need to hone to get where I want in my career. Any tips on how to improve them? Especially the switching gears under pressure, humor to deflect, promote your skills without arrogance, etc..
Daria, so glad the timing of this post was good for you. I believe the first step to improving in those areas is to first identify the ones that have slipped you up in the past. I’m a big one for picking one or two things to work on and finding lots of small ways to test them. If it’s humor to deflect, perhaps take notice of some minor edgy situations and see if you can’t say something light to deflect it. The more we test a new behavior in low consequence situations, the more likely we are to see what works and what doesn’t, building up our confidence to put them into play when the stakes are higher. Does that help? Great to hear from you, as always! ~Dawn
Like this one!
Too little pressure and we don’t get anything done. To much and we run away in fear. Perhaps we need to stay in the “window of optimal arousal” so we feel the pressure to do our best and still be able to think clearly.
Excellent points to prepare for the big stage Dawn!
Irene, wow, I love your “window of optimal arousal” perspective…you’ve got the balance behind success on the big stage in perfect view. Many thanks for your kind words and great comment! ~Dawn
I’d like to add one more group of people who have to overcome their stage, when all the eyes are on them – teachers!
Having a room full of kids watching your every move and inspecting everything about your clothes, moves, tone and word choice is extremely challenging, but also rewarding.
I’m with you there, Donna! Your example about teachers is spot on…I should know as I taught secondary school students for 10 years! Every class is more of a real stage than one might think since students often want to be entertained while being instructed. After all my other career experiences, I still say that teaching was my hardest job, as it took the most emotional energy and the constant challenge of having to think on your feel. Thanks so much for another wonderful comment that enriched the post. ~Dawn
Hi Dawn – another great post…you are on a roll lately! I think there is a HUGE emotional component to success in business that we dont often delve into….I think there is alot of primitive fear about being seen, that might be inbred into us, into our lizard brains….like we want to run if we are caught….I think it takes ALOT of emotional work to be successful besides the exterior task work…nice post.
Hey, Kathy, sometimes the Muse helps me out with these posts and other times leaves me high and try. You’re so right about “primitive fear” that stalks us. I wish that when we were young, someone who teach us how to out-smart it. Sometimes, the opposite happens and people stoke our fears for their own purposes. Makes me fighting mad. Thanks again for another terrific comment. ~Dawn
Hi Dawn – Interesting pt abt being younger and having that fear just be so alive inside of us….I remember that clearly. And there are older folks/managers who like to stoke that fear, while others are more emotionally balanced and empowering. I think that when we are young, it is just difficult to outsmart it, I think we mature and then we are able to. Too bad the emotional growth of maturity waits until later!
“It’s easy to get freaked out about the big stage. We let ourselves get paralyzed by the pressure and the irrational belief that we might fail in such a big way that our careers will be ruined.” This is exactly the kind of advice I’ve been waiting for! I tend to scare myself out of taking risks or doing something new, but that would certainly keep me from getting anywhere.
Susan, so glad my post showed up when you needed it! Courage is something we develop by taking on risks a little at a time. Calculated risks are the ones where we can assess the probability of positive or negative consequences. Those are the easier ones to deal with. But when we have a risk-taking track record under our belts, we can take on risks that have more unknowns. When I comes to risk-taking, I always ask myself what’s the worst that could happen. Unless the answer is financial ruin or death, I’m ready to move forward. Great to hear from you. ~Dawn