Leadership Strength Through Changing Times

Leadership Strength Through Changing Times – by Arnie Wohlgemut

Throughout history, we remember the leaders that led nations, armies, and companies through difficult times. Difficult times are literally made for leaders says John C. Maxwell.

I believe there are 3-character traits that will help us lead our teams or companies through the economic dip COVID19 has created. In each of the following, I will focus on only one small example of these leadership character traits.

• Humility

“Tell me one thing I don’t want to hear!”

Beth Comstock

A humble leader will admit when they do not know what is coming, or what the future may hold. It is not your role to know everything, your role is to lead. Your team still needs a confident leader, someone who leads with confident uncertainty.

Change forces us to confront things says Beth Comstock in a GLS20 interview. “You have to be willing to get feedback you don’t want to hear.” In uncertain times, your honesty and humility are as important as ever.

• Courage

“What the world needs more than ever are courageous, genuine leaders.”

Patrick Lencioni

A courageous leader must be willing to unmake promises or declarations. It is no surprise that the world has changed, so it is also no surprise that some of our past declarations can become our biggest limitations.

Unmaking of promises needs to be done with humility, confidence and with transparency. They should never be unmade, hidden in a policy change, or other vailed action.

Courage to unmake promises does not stop there, no leader should leave that void with out a new vision for the future. It is your responsibility as a leader to provide hope.

Find a story in your vision of the future that gives people hope about the future.

• Build Confidence

“It is a leader’s job to create a safe environment for people to bring their full self to work.”

Amy Edmondson

A confident team is willing to take risks. A confident team is a resilient team.

Building a team willing to take risks and resilience highlights the importance of participatory meetings. These are regular meetings where everyone has a voice and gets heard. They may be with one on one or with your team.

The importance of participatory meetings was once explained to me this way, and something I have never forgotten:

“There may be an elephant in the room. Each person on your team sees the elephant; they see it from their own perspective. Just because they see the other side of the elephant or see the elephant from the front or back, does not make them naïve or wrong. They are reporting what they see and feel.”

I believe now more than ever we need leaders with humility, courage and confidence building skills to lead us though the current business environment.