Warrior vs Worrier
My husband is always accusing me of worrying too much. Normally I respond “Maybe…but that IS what made me successful”. Recently I got to thinking more about my worrier moniker and what really drives success.
Ozzy Osborne’s Genome
I felt more like a warrior than a worrier, battling to make things happen often while dodging bullets. In fact, if you have worked with me you might have heard me use the term “Combat Accounting” to refer to situations where bombs are constantly lobbed in your direction and you must triage your tasks to save your sanity and stay on-track. However, I can’t deny my worrier tendencies as I also try hard to avoid mistakes, threats and other assorted disasters. So warrior or worrier, which is it?
I Googled “warrior vs worrier” and several links came up showing that I am not the first to think about or study this comparison. I was surprised to learn that research has shown that there is actually a warrior gene and a worrier gene you are born with helping to determine how you respond to stress. Apparently, some of us carry both genes.
According to the research, individuals with the warrior gene are more likely to choose professions and situations that are high stress. Studies show that warrior types actually need some level of stress to perform at their best and that chemicals released by the brain during periods of crisis create a sort of addiction to it.
Sorting through the internet “facts” I learned that Ozzy Osborne had his genome sequenced and it showed he has both the worrier and warrior gene. Ozzy said the warrior gene explains his high risk/destructive behavior and the worrier gene explains his simultaneous tendency toward anxiety/insecurity. So the warrior made him famous, while the worrier kept him alive.
Bingo! Maybe a mix of warrior AND worrier had kept me alive and sane on the corporate battlegrounds for all of those years.
The Warrior in battle
In the world of corporate finance many of us start out in the proverbial trenches. The warrior will storm the hill, fight the battle, and compete with peers but more importantly with themselves, striving to be the best that they can. They will be surrounded by crisis, chaos and stress. And they will love every minute of it. This battleground is where the warrior develops the necessary skills needed to make quick decisions so that they can someday lead a team.
At this stage, a true warrior is not spending much time worrying. The focus is on learning and getting the job done, on time, hopefully on budget and with as little damage as possible. As long as you don’t suffer a mortal wound for a seriously bad decision, suffering through these difficult situations is the experience needed to become successful.
Combat Accounting
In a large corporate environment change comes often and being able to warrior through the maze of political and work related bomb shells is important. But smart prioritization is key. I can’t stress this point enough – prioritization is key.
Even the most enthusiastic warrior can get bogged down trying to “do it all” and many do. In the Finance and Accounting world we are accustom to regular cycles - monthly close, quarterly reporting, annual budget etc. But in dynamic environments emergencies aka fire drills are regularly peppered into the known cycles and you are forced to adjust.
This is where the concept of Combat Accounting comes in - learning to very quickly triage/prioritize your tasks in order to stay on track, meet deadlines, and save your sanity. The warrior type will secretly enjoy these interruptions and the problem solving needed to address them.
The concept of Combat Accounting is hard to teach. Not unlike medical triage, understanding how to determine the most important items from a laundry list of urgent “to dos” on the spot will come mostly from experience. The inexperienced must not be afraid to ask what tasks should receive priority. And managers should always be aware of what the young warriors are working on and provide guidance.
Worriers Are Essential
So what about the worriers? Studies on the worrier dominate type show they are better at more complex planning and that over the course of evolution have been absolutely essential for survival. And in environments without excess stress a worrier type will typically outperform a warrior.
Research shows that a worrier can still handle stress as long as they have experience and are well trained. A study looking at how the genes correlate to Air Force pilot performance indicates that with training and experience a worrier will outperform a warrior in extreme stress situations. So a person CAN be a worrier-gene warrior. So if you are a leader and one of your worriers comes to you expressing interest in being more warrior like, train them and send them to the front line!
But let’s face it, not everyone wants to be a warrior and any organization would be a mess if everyone was vying for warrior status. In fact, it is important for every organization big or small to have non-warrior types as the foundation for success.
Don't Worry Be Happy
Any organization will be mix of warrior and worrier including individuals like Ozzy with a mix of both. Recognize what motivates you and makes you happy. Remember that worriers will struggle when too much stress is present and warriors will get restless without enough. Communicate with your manager and create a development plan that keeps you interested and your stress level manageable. Of course manageable is a relative term depending on if you are warrior or worrier dominate!
