An interview with Maria Angelova
Make the decision and don’t waffle. I have done this and the results are normally disaster mainly because the team can’t count on you keeping your word.
As a leader, some things are just unavoidable. Being faced with hard choices is one of them. Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. What’s the best way to go about this? Is there a “toolkit” or a skill set to help leaders sort out their feelings and make the best possible decisions? As part of our series about “How Leaders Make Difficult Decisions,” we had the pleasure of interviewing Angela Bradford.
Angela is a Senior Marketing Director with World Financial Group. Within just over seven years of transitioning from the blue collar world of trucking and training horses, to the white collar world of finances and training people, she has opened multiple offices and started expansion into two countries. She has an amazing team working with her and has the goal of having a licensed agent in every state and province in North America within the next 4 years.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I drove truck for many years until that industry began slowing down. This caused me to look for other opportunities and positions. I was introduced to World Financial Group then and I saw that I could get into a brand-new career with relatively little risk, so I thought, “Why not?” I decided to go for it, give it my best, and see…. I am incredibly grateful I made that decision and I have never looked back.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
It is so true that we cannot become successful without help. It is hard to think of one particular person as there are so many that have helped me get to where I’m at. The first one that comes to mind today though is Adam Dawe.
I met Adam just about 8 years ago; he introduced me to the business I’m in. I did not have a lot of confidence that this career path in financial services was for me. In one of our initial meetings, because of my disbelief about stepping into the opportunity that was presented, I went into Adam’s office with a lengthy list of pointed questions that had a skeptical bias, to say the least! With complete respect for me, Adam answered each and every question.
I learned something big in that moment: people borrow our belief in them until they believe in themselves. Through Adam’s belief in me and his coaching, I was able to grow my confidence and become a leader. I will be forever grateful for his belief and time.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
I sure can share a story! The last few years many people went through a lot of mental challenges. As a leader, I realized I had to reach out to them regularly rather than waiting for them to reach out for help. I remember multiple calls where people were right on the edge of quitting their work or their family, and just the call was able to keep them in the game.
It’s been a very uncertain time for so many people, that as leaders, we need to be more certain than ever.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through challenges? What sustains your drive?
Yes. Many times I’ve thought about giving up. I then think about what I was put here for and my purpose, and there’s no way I can quit. When you can step into your purpose and receive the strength from a higher power, you have the strength to get through the challenges.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?
Leadership is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to accomplish. Someone is almost always unhappy with the decision made. Thinking of a story, when I do retreats, I can’t take everyone, so I have to pick. When you pick someone there are always those that feel they should be picked and aren’t. A leader has to make decisions that are best for the team not individual people. There are nights I can’t sleep thinking about the choices I need to make for the team.
What process or toolset can a leader use to make a choice between two difficult paths?
This is a really good question! I believe different leaders figure out different ways to process choices like this. For me personally, one of the things that I definitely do is pray. Reaching out to a higher power helps my decision making immensely. Another thing I do is reach out to coaches or mentors that are where I want to go and have dealt with the questions I am dealing with.
A problem I see people do in this area, is reach out but then not take what is recommended for advice. If you aren’t going to take the advice, don’t reach out.
Do you have a mentor or someone you can turn to for support and advice? How does this help? When can a mentor be helpful? When is this not helpful?
I definitely have a mentor! I would say having a mentor or coach is one of the biggest keys to success in this area. Someone who has walked the way you want to go so that you can ask them what land mines to miss. I reach out to a mentor/coach daily to help me go where I want to go faster. When I struggle with hard decisions, they make it easier because they’ve already been there before.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader when faced with a difficult decision?
I would say the most critical role is to make the decision fast and not waver even if you are unsure on the inside. Confidence is needed for the team to follow.
Do you ever look back at your decisions and wish you had done things differently? How can a leader remain positive and motivated despite past mistakes?
That is such a great question! There are definitely times that I think I could have done things better or differently. The past is the past; however, and I can’t go back. A leader can only move forward and learn from mistakes and failures.
If someone can continue to learn than they will continue to grow themselves and their team. Deciding to be positive is a great decision for any leader to make. We decide our feelings.
What is the best way to boost morale when the future seems uncertain? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team during uncertain times?
When times are uncertain, I think the best thing a leader can do is lead by example. What I mean by this is, showing up everyday no matter what, always being positive, always helping people to focus on what’s going well rather than what isn’t going well.
People do what you show them more than doing what you say. Actions speak louder than words. If you seem worried, then your people will be worried. If you’re optimistic, then your people will be more likely to be optimistic.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses or leaders make when faced with a hard decision? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
One of the first mistakes that I have seen and work on myself is not making a decision. Sitting and hoping a decision isn’t needed is making a decision to be reactive instead of proactive. Decisions need to be made whether we like to make them or not.
One of the second common mistakes that I have seen is making a decision and then changing it. I have done this myself and the results were not the best let’s just say! Leaders make decisions fast and change them slowly. I am working on this, so I know that it is a common mistake.
The third common mistake that I see frequently is basing a decision on feelings rather than facts. We need to look at all the facts before we make a decision. It helps frequently to talk to other people also before making the decision.
Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a leader should do when making difficult decisions?
1 . Based on my experience the first thing that a leader should do is take a step back and a quiet time to think about the decision and the situation. A time to pray or reach out to a higher power for wisdom and guidance. Recently I had to make a decision, and this is something I definitely did and it helped a lot.
2 . The second thing that helps for me anyway is to reach out for mentorship or coaching. I love to ask people who have been where I want to go how to get there and avoid landmines. I’ve done this a few times and it has helped me immensely!
3 . Third. Make the decision and don’t waffle. I have done this and the results are normally disaster mainly because the team can’t count on you keeping your word.
4 . The forth important thing to remember is to see the big picture. Will this matter in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? That will have an impact on how major of a decision it really is.
5 . The fifth and last thing that helps with making tough decisions is to realize the tougher the decision the more potential you have to grow and help change lives. It’s easy to think, “this is tough and sucks,” rather than, “this is why I am successful or will be successful.” When you do the hard things, you deserve to have a great life!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is, “life happens for us not to us.” When I go through different tough times in my life, I want to take them away; however, everyone of them have been a catalyst to major growth in my business and my life.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Follow me on Instagram at @realangelabradford and I would love to connect with everyone!
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Angela Bradford Of World Financial Group On How Leaders Make Difficult Decisions was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.