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The drive for self-preservation is one of the strongest decision filters. The natural drive to grapple or flee can influence our business choices. We view our environment through a filter of survival when we feel threatened or unsafe. Past experiences in a similar situation can trigger misplaced danger signals. Imagined pain from separation, loss or even death can color our decision filters. The successful executive can separate fact from conjecture and develop effective responses to the fear based outcomes.
A healthy dose of self-esteem is an effective antidote to the self-preservation filter.
The first step is to look at your foundation.
- Where do you find your sense of self-worth?
- What is the firm anchor for your identity?
If the anchor of your identity is buried in the shifting sand of group think, public opinion or cultural norms then your decisions may be impacted by your self-defense filters. Be aware of your decision filters. Simply noticing your distractions, mood, beliefs, style and fears is the first step to making better business decisions.
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