What does it take to lead in uncertain times?
When you feel faced with uncertainty, what is your strategy? You may feel anxiety, fear, depression, discouragement, and not know where to turn. Here are some tactics to help you push through and come out the other side feeling confident.
What do you know, what do you need to know, what action do you want to take, and what decisions will you make?
As a leader, you are an example that others can follow. People gravitate to those who have it together. Those that you lead will be more influenced by the power of your example than the example of your power. Your example is what gives people confidence in you. Taking action and being decisive about it moves you from uncertainty to certainty.
Become authentic and honest
How we act in uncertainty determines who we will be when the crisis is over. People will respond to honesty and vulnerability. Letting people know you don’t have all the answers is okay. Let people know what you’re trying to understand and that you need their help. People respect that, and it shows an authentic person. This attitude inspires collaboration.
The four pillars of virtue© (from my leadership method)
Follow your values. When you follow my pillars of virtue©, you will have the proper perspective and take actions in alignment with trusted values. These values will give you the strength to make the right decisions in uncertain times. When decisions are made based on these values, it becomes a better world for all people.
Develop self-leadership
When there’s no playbook, develop your own. You can only control what you can control. Everything else is a broken play on the football field. You’ve read how important it is for employees to demonstrate self-awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy, and social intelligence, in the workplace. Self-Leadership is the fundamental skill developed to illustrate these behaviors. This concept helps leaders to effectively express and apply all their knowledge, skills, abilities, passions, and values.
Take action – nothing can be perfect in uncertain times
It takes courage to take action in the face of uncertainty. Often the action you take brings back the certainty you desire. Remember that perfectionism kills excellence. Just make a decision and move. Alan Weiss, one of the world’s most prominent global consultants, once said:
“Momentum loves speed, and if you spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to get from 80 to 100 percent, you will slow down your growth and ability to help others. When It’s 80 percent done, move!”
–Alan Weiss
Apply
Put these concepts into use today. Answer the question, what does it take to lead in uncertain times before you need the answer? Just schedule a discovery session, and we’ll discuss. If you need help, you can reach me below. Check out my blog post on small business teams. Also list to my weekly Wednesday Morning Memo.