With all the volatility and uncertainty in today’s business world, I am noticing a worrying trend. Leaders are hesitating. Rather than assessing the current environment and developing a strategy to move forward, many are freezing. It is almost as if because things are so chaotic and moving so fast that many leaders are not doing what they should. . .lead.
We all know that the world is very complex and new technology is constantly moving forward to change the way we operate. This however means that we need to keep moving and keep adapting as these changes come to reality.
Here are a few ideas to help you as a leader:
- Be Clear on Your Vision Forward. Leaders need to have a vision forward. It needs to be a goal and a direction, as well as the culture that will be created or maintained. If there is uncertainty around the way forward, staff get confused and unmotivated. Top talent will buy into a forward vision and they will jump ship if the leadership does not have a clear vision forward.
- Make Decisions. I remember working with a leader who was a perfectionist. Because of this she did not want to make a decision because she was afraid of it being wrong. Once she realised that one of the most important roles of leadership is to make decisions and live with the outcome she became a much better leader. So what decisions have you been putting off that you should make?
- Adapt to Change. Nobody has a crystal ball that will predict the future. We will make the best decision at the time and things will change and we will need to adapt. Great leaders adapt to change. More importantly, they are constantly looking for what changes or modifications need to be made so they can quickly integrate them.
Much of this is common sense, however, unfortunately when times are stressful and challenging, we often forget the universal tenants of leadership and go a little ‘off-path’. I am currently starting a new Leadership Mentoring Program for leaders that provides a 90 day timeframe to help them lead more effectively and navigate through challenging times.
If you would like to have a discussion about me working with you as your Leadership Mentor, send me an email to [email protected].
