- Introduction
What once seemed strong, dependable and immovable has been shaken to the core. We are experiencing a never imagined change in all aspects of our lives; the way we work, do Business, forge relationships, run Government & other institutions, deliver essential services like health and education, etc.
What does it mean to be a leader at a time like now? My guess is there is nothing in your leadership past that is quite like the current times. Whether you are leading a group of 5, 10, 100 or 1000 you will need to courageously navigate these tough times.
2. Some of the challenges that a leader must overcome include
- The pressure to differentiate:there is pressure to innovate and help your business/organization stand out in a sea of competition.
- Executing the strategy:need to align your business/organization to ensure your people are clear about what needs to get done in line with your strategy.
- Leading transformational change:With so much happening, constant change across several aspects of your business/organization can be difficult to manage.
- Creating enduring value:All your stakeholders; clients/beneficiaries, employees, directors and shareholders have high expectations of you as the leader in exchange for their loyalty.
- Building future talent:You need to build and nurture the next generation of leaders in addition to managing the day-to-day. “If everything you have done dies with you, you are a failure. Success without a successor is The greatest act of true leaders is mentoring”. Myles Munroe
People/Followers need leaders to effectively navigate for them. This need is painfully obvious when they are facing life and death situations.
3. How can you courageously lead?
- Put people first.With tough times/crisis, it’s about safety. How can you better serve your people?. Educate yourself as a leader on how to do it effectively. “Your legacy should not be in buildings, programs, and projects, your legacy must be in people”. Myles Munroe
- Leverage and utilize your team.Ken Blanchard said: “All of us are smarter than one of us.” Bring your team together. You have one vision, one mission. So you need a team around you to get all the different perspectives. “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” Abraham Lincoln
- Tackle tough issues and make difficult decisions. There is usually the tendency to avoid conflict, put off making difficult decisions and even sugarcoat reality. This should not be so for a leader. Stop avoiding those difficult conversations, don’t post-pone decision making and don’t allow Technology to replace the human element. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”— Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. president
- Communicate cautiously more (than continuously).Use good judgment. Talk less and think more as a leader because this way you will be careful what you say. During tough times people always don’t need more communication, but they need wise communication. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, it’s also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill
- Express optimism about the company and its future; People can feel isolated and disconnected in the virtual world, so as a leader you must provide support, positive energy, and a sense of hope for the future. “As leaders we don’t have the luxury of wearing our emotions on our sleeves. Slap on a smile, lead the team with positivity, then go home and deal with our feelings”.
- Be authentic.People want authenticity more than perfection. . Let your actions and words be congruent with your beliefs and values. Be genuine, self-aware, and transparent. Manage yourself-The most hard leadership challenge is leading you. Authenticity will help create balance in your life, build trust and empower others
- Remain focused. “Controlling your direction is better than being controlled by it” Jack Welch. Regardless of the present situation, have a vision for getting to the destination; understand what it will take to get there, know who you will need on the team to be successful and reorganize the obstacles long before they appear on the horizon.
‘Where the leader goes’; Why do military planes crash in fours? They fly in group of four; One pilot the, leader, designates where the team will fly. The other three fly on the leader’s wing, watching him and following him wherever he goes. Whatever move he makes, the rest of his team will make along with him. That’s true whether he sours in the clouds or he smashes on the mountaintop.
4. Conclusion
The turbulent state of our world is throwing unprecedented challenges at us. And this means leaders must face each challenge with increasing levels of courage. “Courage to continue tomorrow cannot happen unless we have the courage to continue today”. John Maxwell.
“A crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind.”— Chinese Proverb
“Any deep crisis is an opportunity to make your life extraordinary in some way.”- Martha Beck, Author
Do not waste a crisis![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”998″][vc_column_text]Mary Kamore is the Lead Consultant Molives Mentoring[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]