Effective Leadership in Challenging Times
Over the past few years, the acronym V.U.C.A. (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) has been used to describe the challenging environment that we have been operating in. With the onset of COVID-19, these dynamics have been exacerbated in an unprecedented fashion.
Effective leadership during this time is critical and our actions will shape all future outcomes. As leaders, we need to continue providing stewardship for our families, organizations and the communities we are a part of.
Below I’ve listed seven leadership actions that will make an important difference during this time. I’m working on these leadership actions now more than ever so that I can be intentional about how I show up, and I invite you to join me:
1. Project Confidence
The spotlight of leadership has never been more intense, and everyone is taking their cue from us. Jim Ramerman, my teammate and father relies on, and freely shares, his personal leadership mantra to be Calm, Confident, Clear and Connected. I’m repeating this mantra before every meeting and interaction to ensure I am experiencing and exuding confidence. The people we lead will benefit from our confidence during these uncertain times.
2. Keep it Real
Projecting confidence does not mean that we don’t have a realistic appraisal of the situation. We can resist the temptation to say: “this is nothing to worry about”. Instead, be as transparent as possible. Let’s consider sharing the actual challenges the future may hold while reiterating the message: “Together we can make it through and succeed”.
3. Provide Clarity in uncertain times
There is so much we don’t know about the future, and clarity is a precious resource. Uncertainty is an enormous source of anxiety. Each element of certainty contributes to calm. For instance, some teams meet every morning to discuss the ramifications of Covid-19. Every little bit of certainty we can provide will make a significant difference in the mindset of our team.
4. Manage Emotions while Giving Grace
Under normal circumstances it can be easy to be triggered and to trigger others, and these are far from normal circumstances. I’m doing my best to understand my emotions and do the necessary work to manage them. At the same time, if a teammate lashes out, we can choose not to react but instead offer grace and remember that stress can bring out both the best responses and worst reactions from us.
5. Intentionally Build and Maintain Connection
Social interaction is critical to our mental and emotional well-being. Many are working remotely, and the isolation is challenging for extroverts and introverts alike. Our team has scheduled a few virtual meetings a week to check-in with each other.
6. Self-Care Generates Positive Impact for others
If we take care of ourselves first, we will be better positioned to take care of others. My personal commitment is to take a 5-10 minute walk every 2 hours. What is your self-care strategy?
7. Keep an Outward Mindset
As we know, in giving to others, we receive. Being generous even in this time of personal and organizational crisis to give resources, time and talent to the most vulnerable will be a win-win: both self-healing and impactful*.
The current environment presents a complex set of daunting challenges for all of us, but there are actions we can take. We can choose to be our best leadership selves for our teams, our organizations and our communities.