Leading in uncertain times

July 7, 2020

With much of the world in a spin right now it can feel tough to know which way to go to gain traction. If you’re a leader, this means guiding not just yourself but others around you too. The easy route would be to do nothing at all – let the world figure things out on its own. The old saying of “time will tell” can be difficult to follow when you have major business demands and time is not an available commodity.

How do you lead to get through these uncertain times? At ATI-Mirage we meet many clients with this question in mind.

We’ve put together some steps all leaders can take today to lead their teams in uncertain times:

Be Authentic.

Your team will be looking to you for answers, and it’s ok if you don’t know them. Be honest and open with your team on your thoughts and plans for the future. It’s easy to hide behind corporate jargon and spreadsheets. Step out from behind this. Allow yourself to be open to receive feedback and listen to new ideas.

Build Resilience.

Now more than ever we need to increase the “bounce back” ability of resilience. These are turbulent times and not everything will go as planned. That’s ok – so long as you demonstrate resilience to your team. When plans don’t work out, dust yourself off and try again. Stay away from any negative talk, and remain focused on the goals you set.

Show Courage.

Being a great leader means other people follow you, willingly. Your organisation might need to reinvent the way things are done to deal with the new financial climate. Taking risks and leading change to your processes can feel scary. Take a chance and when you do, make sure it’s with conviction. Focus on the trust you have in your team’s capability. Let your team know, even if things don’t work out the way you planned, you will all get through it together.

Trust.

Let your team know you value and trust them. When times are so uncertain, build certainty in the skills and ability your team has. By trusting your team, you can focus on what you “can do” rather than what you have no control over. This works really well to ground thoughts and feelings. Plans become easier to make and increased trust in a team enhances overall well-being.

Increase collaboration.

Acknowledge and value team interdependence. Keep away from boardroom decisions that benefit only a few people. Allow opportunities for team collaboration. When you do this it removes a competitive environment, making space for innovation and creation. Allowing people to work together drives a sense of purpose and this in turn creates accountability. When times are uncertain, building connection provides a solid platform to build upon.

Leaders who can lean into the emerging future with authenticity, resilience, courage, trust and collaboration are the ones who create amazing things in the face of uncertainty.