14 May How to lead in turbulent times
The role of the ‘Leader’ in an organisation is of critical importance at any time and in these turbulent times the pressure on MDs, CEOs and business owners to perform has never been greater. Getting the balance between setting the long-term vision and direction for the business and yet delivering on the short term demands of; people, customers and profit, is the age-old problem all leaders have to juggle. Coming out of COVID-19 however is a whole new ball game – it is ‘Reset’ not ‘Resume’, teams are looking for a plan, for answers, for a guiding light!
History has shown that there are characteristics the best leaders demonstrate which ensure their success and that of their businesses. The tougher the market place the more important these lessons learnt become.
Set a clear vision for your organisation – to drive a business forward it’s important all the people in the organisation are aligned, by understanding the company’s vision, following your lead and pulling together for the common good. As leader, setting the vision for the business is paramount; painting a picture of where the company is going, what it will stand for and what it can achieve is needed. In times of uncertainty, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, employees need to be reassured that there is an attainable, yet optimistic vision, and that strategic thinking is going into how the business will come out the other side. Right now, this is needed for the coming weeks, months and years. In businesses with a clear vision and sense of purpose individuals feel more engaged, have a greater pride in their organisation and show more personal initiative to deliver results. As leaders of our organisations we must ask ourselves, ‘if I were an employee in this company would I buy in to where we are going, and would it really motivate me to do my best?
Communicate, communicate and communicate again – be a story-teller! Some of the greatest leaders in history: Churchill, Lincoln, Kennedy, Mandela, and Gandhi, all recognised the importance of communicating to each and every person. They clearly articulated their plans, their passion and their requirements to deliver change and results. Don’t assume that everyone in the organisation knows what you have in mind or what success looks like. Communicate to everyone whether verbally, electronically or in writing. Tell people what you want and expect but also check they’ve understood.
Put in place the best team possible – Choose the most able people for the job, who have the skill, drive and ambition to succeed. Get people by your side that are aware of their own strengths which complement your weaknesses and have the courage, confidence and conviction to challenge your ideas to ensure the best possible result for the business. This is not without its pitfalls. If you are an inclusive leader, then there is a danger that it can feel as if you are constantly talking and arguing about things without reaching a consensus. Don’t let it become paralysing. Seek the team’s input, have the debate, but as the leader make the decision.
Share the successes and failures of the team – As a leader you have to be able to figure out how to share the credit for your success with your team, they are part of the mission and their input should be recognised. You want to bank a reserve of good will and that involves, acknowledging your short comings, crediting the contributions of others and shouldering some of the blame when your team gets things wrong. This will drive loyalty in your people, and they will go the extra mile. Be honest and ask yourself, do you have the loyalty and belief of your team? Have you given them the credit when it’s been due and supported them when its gone wrong?
In these unprecedented, challenging and uncertain times, people look even more for leadership. An empathetic, caring leader, who has a clear plan, is what individuals, businesses and the nation are looking for right now. For leaders who have a clear vision, communicate clearly what they want and why, know their own limitations and share the successes with their team – they will not only survive but thrive in these turbulent times.
