With so many challenges facing our families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare and governmental institutions, the responsibilities on us as parents, professionals, and leaders have grown dramatically. And there’s no end in sight. As leaders, how we address our challenges speaks volumes about us as people and as leaders.
As leaders, how we address our challenges speaks volumes about us as people and as leaders.
How we communicate, behave, guide, and take action during challenging times reflects who we are as people and as leaders. Our words will either rally and focus our teams, or they’ll confuse and frustrate them. Our behaviors will either inspire and energize our teams, or they’ll embarrass and bewilder them. Our guidance will either help our teams move forward safely and productively, or it may harm them or cause them more work. And finally, our actions on our plan for a path forward, will either be sound, vetted actions that our experts agree pose the greatest opportunities for success, or they’ll be actions taken to appease emotions and allow a box to be checked, but they’ll have little chance of success.
Our behaviors will either inspire and energize our teams, or they’ll embarrass and bewilder them.
I’ve been privileged to have a front row seat as my clients in academia, state government, and the business community have risen to the incredible challenges presented to them over the past several months. Without exception, each has rallied to assure continuity of operations. Each has worked tirelessly to provide support, equipment, and accommodations to team members to enable their ability to work remotely. Each has dramatically ramped up focused communications. And, each has revamped strategies and shifted priorities to ensure customers receive the products and services they need now, and will need over the next few years. Have all of their team members liked every decision? No. Have all of their customers liked every decision? No. However, these leaders have earned the continued, if not enhanced, respect and support of their teams. It’s because of how they’ve communicated, behaved, guided, and taken action during challenging times.
These leaders have the continued, if not enhanced, respect and support of their teams. It’s because of how they’ve communicated, behaved, guided, and taken action during challenging times.
As you consider the type of leader you would like to be, reflect on the actions of other leaders you model and support. Consider how they’ve communicated, how they’ve behaved, how they’ve guided, and how they’ve taken action over the past several months. If you were to replace their name with yours, given their communications, behaviors, guidance, and actions…
would you like the person and the leader you’ve turned out to be?
Copyright MMXX – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890
Liz supports clients with strategic and succession planning, as well as leadership training and executive coaching. Learn more about Liz on LinkedIn!