With all the uncertainty and craziness in the world lately, companies are now, more than ever, in a continuous cycle of frequent change and adaption. And the ability for companies to be able to accommodate and keep up with this need to adapt is majorly reliant on the leadership quality and methods in these workplaces.
You, as a leader, need to be leading mindfully in these times of crisis and treating these challenges as a learning opportunity and an essential factor in staying relevant. By doing this you will be sharpening the skills you need to thrive in this world of constant change, after all, one of the most important parts of a leader’s role is to help stay afloat during times of intense change.
If you’re not, I’ve got some good news – you can begin the transformation towards becoming this change-ready leader (even at this stage) by following these four steps:
Focus on the future
In order to identify the best solutions for your current situation, you need to be able to recognize and let go of the assumptions, habits, and mindsets of the past. Holding on to this collective in these times of constant change creates a tunnel vision for your thinking and creativity that may impact your problem-solving abilities in the present time. Just because a strategy worked for you today or yesterday, doesn’t guarantee it will be successful tomorrow.
Include your team in the decision making
The constant uncertainty and change in the world today often creates a sense of urgency that leads to quick and decisive behaviors from company leaders. But no one person has all the information or answers. By involving more people in the decision-making process in your company will allow you to gain some atypical perspectives and uncommon insights and opinions that can help you to come to a more innovative and well-rounded solution.
Change the plan, not the goal
The future may be unpredictable and change inevitable, and you may get some challenges thrown your way, but that doesn’t mean you’re goals become unachievable. By using your creativity and imagination to construct various strategies or paths that can help you to achieve these goals, and understanding all of these directions and the corresponding arguments, you will be able to highlight the one that works best with your current position and the most effective option to direct your efforts.
Try to maintain a balance between optimism and realism
With all of this recent uncertainty comes a level of real and perceived threat for people, and pretending that this doesn’t affect you isn’t sustainable. You need to show your employees that you care and acknowledge their stress by making sure they feel part of the solution, an encouragement that can help them to uncover the positive in these crazy times and reframe this threat as an opportunity moving forward.
Even though we can’t possibly predict what the future holds, being prepared for and effectively dealing with the inevitable challenges and changes is vital. By learning to adapt to these changes, you may soon find that this uncertainty actually acts as a catalyst for innovation within your company, a key to staying relevant in your industry.
Do you need help to focus on further developing your leadership skills in this time of change? With our Executive Coaching Program, we will work with you to help you master the skill of conflict resolution and managing change through strategic thinking. Find out more about our coaching programs here.
