I'm hearing whispers from all fronts that the economy is starting to turn around, but it won't happen overnight, and the tough times aren't over yet. So, how can you keep your teams engaged and inspired as they continue to weather this adverse environment?
I've recently been working with our assessment tool, the LFL Leadership Checkride, and I would like to share a few of the criteria that directly relate to leading in tough times. For those of you who aren't familiar with our Checkride assessment, it was developed by Colonel (ret'd) Ron Guidinger, our Lead Consultant, who was a leader in both the military and business worlds. He took his experiences with life or death leadership and transformed them into a tool to help businesspeople to become the best leaders possible.
BT1: Communicate Openly, Transparently, and with Conviction
Trust is one of the staples of effective leadership, and to lead your teams through difficult times, you need their trust. One way to foster that trust is through communication. A lack of communication leads to rumours of layoffs and plummeting morale, but this can be combatted with open, transparent, communication. Maybe layoffs are coming, maybe not, but at the very least you can be open enough with your teams to let them know what to expect, and that though there are challenges ahead, they can pull through as a team.
BT5: Be Human
Fear is not a logical state. As a leader, it can be exceptionally difficult to combat fear through logical analysis and reasoning. Your teams don't need a robot leading them, they need a human! It is important to show that side of yourself, to let your teams know that you have fears and concerns, but that you can also transform those fears and concerns into resolve. Showing your own vulnerability will help to build trust, and makes the difference between telling your teams how to navigate these tough times, and leading them through.
BC7: Technical Skill
Trust will help people to follow you, but Confidence helps people to know that you will lead them where they need to go. By developing your own technical skills your teams will be re-assured that by following you, you will do the best for them that you can. This kind of confidence can replace the paralysis of fear, with inspiration.
These are but a few of the criteria we look at, but if you can communicate openly, demonstrate your humanity, and your technical proficiency, people will follow you through the darkest recessions.
Question to the crowds: What other characteristics should a leader have, or what actions can they take to help lead their people through tough times?
-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP
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