In today’s rapidly changing world—marked by geopolitical tensions, economic instability, and technological disruption—leaders face mounting challenges. It is natural to feel anxious and confused right now, but meanwhile, your employees are looking to you for clarity and reassurance. So, how do you demonstrate strong leadership when you may not know what to do? Or, you may not feel it yourself?
Anchor Leadership in Core Values
There is no better time than right now to take a step back and acknowledge and affirm your values. When there are major shifts in our world, it can be a good time to question your assumptions and whether they still serve you. What do you and your organization stand for? Doubling down on your core values will help you unite your team around that shared vision. It is a way to provide consistency and help everyone focus on what is important.
Stay Proactive, Not Paralyzed
During times like these, many people tend to retreat into a state of helplessness or fall into cynicism. Do not let that happen to you! Your role is to offer stability and inspire confidence in the future.
Focus on bringing your best self to work every day. That means understanding your triggers and practicing your reaction when you move into ‘fight or flight’ mode. Many people live in a low-grade consistent state of ‘fight or flight,’ but it will be heightened even more during uncertain times because there are more stressors with which we are unconsciously or consciously dealing. Now is the time to hone your response so that you are thoughtfully acting, rather than reacting.
Be Switzerland – No Matter How You Really Feel
It is critical to hold a stance of non-judgement in the workplace. It is inevitable that political conversations and views will make their way to the office, but whether you agree or disagree with individuals who may be mentioning sensitive topics, give everyone the same courtesy. Open your heart to everyone equally.
I understand this can be asking a lot, especially when you may disagree with opinions expressed. Just recently, a client told me an unbelievable story of what happened during a meeting of 50+ people in her organization. One female employee expressed concern over the recent election results and the future of women’s rights. Within seconds, a male employee quoted the meme that has gone viral (you know the one). The meeting got out of control from both sides, and the leader had to bring in HR to deal with the inappropriate behavior. She addressed the behavior, not the sensitive political aspect of it, which was the right move.
Acknowledge Feelings
It was hard for my client to listen objectively in that situation because she was so shocked at the behavior. It is easy to get triggered, easy to be polarized, easy to take a side. But when we do that, we lose the capacity of our brains to operate effectively. What’s not easy is to practice mindfulness with vigilance and manage your body when you are triggered.
Feelings, emotions, and moods are typically taboo in the workplace, but there is room to acknowledge a lot of feelings right now. Whether we are elated or devastated, we are all on the same team. We are working together, whether in the same department or on the same project, and that is what unites us. You cannot ignore the range of strong feelings people have right now, but the right leadership move is to remind them of what unifies them. What is important is to lean into the discomfort you may feel personally and address it from a place of acknowledgment and neutrality.
Your job is also to make sure there is no residue that can affect your team’s alignment and company’s production. Help make everyone feel comfortable and be the leader who can mitigate emotional states and bring the charged atmosphere down. Part of the way you do this is by practicing kindness, empathy and compassion. Start conversations with “I can understand how you are feeling…” and offer suggestions for ways people can feel better during this uncertainty.
Double Down on Self-Care
When we are feeling fearful, we make poor decisions. We are not measured but reactive, and we cannot see the big picture. That fear comes from a lot of places, including self-imposed trauma. People are traumatizing themselves all the time without realizing it, and they do not understand the impact.
Help your colleagues, employees, and yourself to minimize self-imposed trauma by shifting some habits:
- Move. Re-engage your body with an exercise regimen.
- Stop scrolling through social media.
- Stop watching the news obsessively: Get your news from a different source even if that means an alternative source like the BBC for a world perspective. If you feel like you cannot cut out your regular news sources, just read headlines instead of going into a deep dive of the details.
- Start or enhance your spiritual practice.
- Increase (or start) meditation.
Now is the time to reset your self-care strategy and step back when needed.
Frame Uncertainty as an Opportunity
It is helpful to reflect on what happened in 2020, when the pandemic abruptly disrupted our lives — and how we surprised ourselves with our ingenuity and resilience. If uncertainty diminishes the relevance of your primary product or service, explore ways to leverage your core competencies, technology, or expertise to meet the needs of the current environment. Even if your products and services are not affected by the circumstances, this is a time to seize new opportunities, whether short-term or long-lasting, to evolve and grow.
Be prepared for people to challenge you. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the election will mean for companies, services, sectors, and products. Be open, consistent, and transparent with your employees in your communication. This creates a supportive environment where people can feel connected and reassured, even during uncertain times. It will build psychological safety.
It is also a suitable time to lean on your network – your leadership team, other experts, mentors, and an executive coach. They can provide constructive feedback on your performance during this time and even surprise you with innovative ideas for pivoting. Executive coaching can also equip you with tools to inspire confidence and foster resilience in yourself and your team.
Learn more about executive coaching