As I write this, I’m sitting up and looking out for waterspouts in the Atlantic that are turning into a series of coastal tornadoes in Charleston from Hurricane Debby.

While I’m thankful for all this information that can help keep us safe, the rate and detail of new information creates a level of awareness that can drive us crazy with speculation, anticipation, fear, or anxiety if we aren’t careful.

Rolling Up Our Sleeves

Information has always been available to us, but now that there’s more we have to be smarter about how to parse it. What we do with it, and even more so, what we allow it to do to us makes all the difference.

In Omaha, there is a meteorologist named Bill Randby. He is a local legend and someone most Omahans have all come to love over the years.

As the middle of the US has its share of crazy weather, Bill serves as a calm presence who has seen the populations of Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa through all sorts of unpredictable scenarios.

The Omaha community understands when Bill thinks things are dire by how he manages his shirt sleeves. The more Bill rolls up his sleeves, the worse the weather.

At the same time, Bill’s demeanor remains calm and careful, and his communication is steady and clear.

While we can empathize with the situation, its vital that we stay alongside it with objectivity, facts, and a calm and clear demeanor. If bad weather is heading your way, freaking out and loosing perspective will hurt your outcome, not help.

Of course, at any point, you can hop into the insanity of Twitter, Reddit, or any other maelstrom of dopamine-fused craziness and get carried away by the calamity of the hour.

As guides and leaders, we need Randbian levels of calm to help those who depend on us get through tense moments.

Being the Captian on a Collaborative Boat

A few weeks back, our family spent a day white water rafting in the Rocky Mountains.

We all approached this trip with a different level of anticipation, anxiety, or uncertainty. Our youngest daughter, Greer, had the highest degree of anxiety about the activity and was looking for an exit as we neared the river.

Thankfully, our guide was excellent. She made sure to get to know us, speak clearly and provide simple instructions that helped all of us easily gain confidence.

As we went along, our confidence increased and even Greer felt increasingly comfortable in the rapids.

The confidence delivered by a patient and competent guide has this direct effect.

While there were moments of smooth water, riding the rapids was thrilling. In life, when the bumps come along and the water turns white, our pulse naturally quickens, but those are opportunities for us to lean in, paddle precisely and discover how strong we are. The rapids add seasoning to our lives. Our businesses are built to help people ride the rapids with confidence and competence.

The Culture of Rolled Up Sleeves

When you and your team are focused on helping people navigate their lives through the rapids, your culture will take care of itself. From your internal team to your clients, having can-do calm in the middle of the storm gives everyone the steadiness to weather whatever comes together.

Remember to interject in the conversations that lean towards fear with careful guidance, a calm demeanor and the willingness to roll up your sleeves.