Leadership Now: How to Manage this Sh$t?

Disruption. Distraction. Depression. What are you supposed to do? How do you keep your business going, your team engaged, and your sanity?

Whether your business is thriving in light of what is happening, or it is being negatively impacted or put on hold, the questions are the same.

The answers, well, they are aren’t easy and you didn’t get a test run. But, we do know strong leadership is key.

Empathy

The starting point for any leadership team is to understand that your people will take their cues from you. They will look to see how you react and act.

Acknowledge the stress, the fears, and the anxieties - the “what does this mean for business, for me?” or “how am I going to work with my spouse and kids at home”. Let alone “are the markets crashing what does this mean for my finances?” Stop and call it all out. Acknowledge they are real and have real impact.

Take a minute to ask a team member how they are adjusting to working from home? What is your biggest challenge right in get your job done? Mean it. Make their concerns the focus of the conversation, don’t just do it as a nicety. Now, I am not saying you have to have a 30 min virtual sit-down over coffee. But you do need to listen. Ask open-ended questions.

Confidence and Gratitude

While acknowledging the pain points, you also need to instill confidence in your team and show your confidence in its ability to come together and deliver. A “we got this” goes a long way. As a team, what are your strengths and how do you use them to navigate the grey areas? Whether your team needs to respond to unprecedented demand for your products or services or you need to pivot, what makes your team uniquely positioned to do just that. There is something, find it.

Lead with gratitude. In disruptive times it’s easy to focus on the negative, practicing gratitude will encourage you to focus on successes and to set a positive tone. Celebrate the little wins every day. Maybe start a weekly team meeting with five things/ways you are grateful for your team. Calling it out publicly has more impact! Leading with gratitude means your employees will be more motivated and collaborative (key in a time of crisis!). 

Mission Critical

Remind your team of the company’s values and mission. Everyone needs a north star right about now and your values and your “why” should anchor your behaviors and decisions in the midst of chaos.

Leaders must flex and be open to change. You must adapt to disruption and ambiguity. That may mean pivoting or refining and relaunching. Listen to your customer, take the time to ask questions. How will consumer behavior change next 3, 6, 12 months? Ask yourself, will your current business model make sense in the future? What types of products and services will see an increase in demand and how will those be delivered?

At the same time be conscious of mission creep. It may feel like you must react quickly, and you do, but think long-term not just short-term. Has the need for your product or service disappeared or has it shifted or been put on hold?

Keep calm. Remember, this is as much about what you say as how you act. Maybe your team can’t see you in action during the day through the glass walls and open floor plans, but your tone and body language will convey how you are feeling and perceiving the challenges ahead.