Leadership: Creating Happy Times in Uncertain Times

Resource 1: The Fourth Turning

The first resource I’d like to share with you is a book I read in the early 2000s called, The Fourth Turning. It was written by two chaps called William Strauss and Neil Howe. What I learned through their awesome Fourth Turning theory is that history does indeed repeat itself. So I was never surprised to find myself, my family, and my business living through the crises of the 2020s.

Massive Change

We are in a time of MASSIVE change.

This book presents 500 years of American history as 4-part cycles that repeat every 80 years or so. Even though it was published in 1997 it predicted the period of crisis that we are finding ourselves in now (in 2021).

As you can see in the table below from LifeCourse.com we are currently in a fourth turning, crisis phase.

The Crisis (NOW)

Crisis sounds negative and generally does leave a lot of people feeling afraid or without hope. Fortunately, as coaches, we are armed with powerful skills to help us navigate adversity.

When I asked The Coach Guardian columnists and our Coach Changemakers Facebook group to reflect on what they were grateful for in 2020 there was lots of hope and optimism even though the world was being hit hard by a global pandemic (Check out What Coaches are Grateful for in 2020).

But even now, in 2021, we are still experiencing big changes in all aspects of life.

The ongoing impact of the global COVID 19 pandemic
Major systems being questioned (education, health, financial)
Social movements like Black Lives Matter and WOKE
Ongoing political unrest in the Middle East and suicide bombings
Underlying feelings of uncertainty, fear, and anger for lots of people
Economic uncertainty
New attitudes to work with the younger
Millennials and Gen Z moving into the workforce
New forms of money including cryptocurrencies

Hope on the Horizon

In times of crisis, there are TONS of opportunities to REINVENT!!!! And Upgrade! The Crisis marks the end of the 4-part, 80-year cycle.
In about 10 years we can expect resolution of the crisis and heading toward renewed prosperity. So hope is on the horizon! We are moving into the first phase of the next 80-year cycle which starts with a High.

As a leader, this book has helped me navigate the future and stay calm. When I read this book 12 years ago, I didn’t know how the crisis was going to show up but I knew something BIG was on the horizon. Big enough to shape a whole generation. When it came I wasn’t surprised which has helped maintain my mental well-being.
The theory in this book influenced the way I designed my business. I knew it needed to be flexible. My business plan had to be international, online, with a wide range of product types from information products to software to services. I wanted to be location-independent and able to pivot just in case I needed to.

Reflection

Teaser for Part 2…

In my next article I share my second resource. It’s given me the TRUTH to how most organizations will work in the future if we are to evolve. Discover some innovative organizations that are already ahead of the mainstream – creating organizations inspired by the next phase of human consciousness.

Benay Dyor

Benay is a compassionate treasure hunter who helps her clients remember the truth of who they are so they can peacefully navigate the chaos of life. She’s been a coach, mentor, and teacher for over 15 years and now works exclusively with tenured personal development experts in transition. She leads a quiet and private life with her family of 3 in the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Australia.

https://universalcoachingsystems.com/

Benay Dyor

https://universalcoachingsystems.com/