I don’t like drama. I don’t like people who create unnecessary drama.
Why? Drama is overreaction. People who cause drama overreact to get what they want.
They overreact to criticism and perceived slights. They attribute to malice what was mere human error. They play the victim to draw attention to themselves. They feign outrage and manufacture crises to further their agendas. They escalate situations that could’ve been quickly and cordially resolved.
Drama wastes time and energy. It steals attention away from the things that matter: the actual work, priorities, and relationships. Not only does it distract, it discourages. It leaves a tense and unsettled air.
This is true in both our personal and professional lives.
Bad leaders stoke the fire and stand in its glow. We witness this in business and politics alike.
But good leaders know how to de-escalate drama. They turn down the heat. They appear unflappable, regardless of the circumstance. And we respect them for it.
Donald Miller advises stepping back and assessing the situation as an onlooker might. Rate the situation “on a scale of 1 to 10 regarding the drama it deserves” and then “meet the level of drama at or below its worthiness on the scale.”
Forget about getting even. Set aside your pride and your emotions. Remove yourself from the picture. As Miller articulates, “respond as though you were writing the script rather than living inside the script.”
That doesn’t mean your emotions are invalid or your experiences don’t matter. It means that you put the mission above your ego—the integrity of the group above any personal agendas. And that is the mark of a strong leader and secure person.