Leadership In Turbulent Times
These are testing times for everyone. No matter where you come from – especially as business owners, right? But there are SO many lessons for us to learn in these times of a global crisis. The #1 thing to remember is to be flexible, to adapt to these new times and keep evolving, keep changing else you’ll simply fizzle out.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve received so many messages from entrepreneurs about how they’re insecure about their business right now. With our teams working remotely, lack of regular funds and having to pay salaries to our teams is extremely difficult, I know. As an entrepreneur myself I completely understand everything that you’re going through because it’s been the same with me!
It’s for this reason that I did a FACEBOOK LIVE on my page where I answered a number of questions from entrepreneurs out there. You can check it out right here:
And, for those of you who love reading blogs, here are the quick takeaways that I shared in my live. So, keep reading!
We’re seeing so many changes in business – whether that’s at the strategy front, model front or even leadership! But these times require us to remember one thing: THAT WE ARE LEADERS, first! And, testing times require testing measures.
So, what should you change in your leadership? How’s your style of leadership in these times?
How you lead your team during these times will determine how effectively you’re able to bounce back from this crisis and still crush your goals! So, remember that YOU have got to take charge & for real STEP UP YOUR GAME during these #turbulenttimes.
And, it’s rightful of you to demand and extract that support from your team. But you need to offer it first so you can demand the same from your team.
How do you get your team to be more responsive in these times of crisis? How can they CONTRIBUTE MORE in these times? Firstly, understand and be crystal clear about the role you’re meant to play currently. Once you do that, you can have your team do tasks and allow you time to revive your business and bounce back after this lockdown. With this time at hand, you need to spend every waking minute on the strategy front. – It is the ONLY way to bounce back, entrepreneurs!
If you want your team to be MORE EFFECTIVE, you’ve got to train, develop and delegate them enough so they can RISE UP to the occasion. So, get ready to delegate to them especially in times like these. And no, delegating is not equal to you allocating tasks or giving your team work. Think of what amongst your responsibilities can you start assigning to them.
Remember to DELEGATE to get more time, to free yourself from ‘operational’ tasks. Another thing to be mindful about is to NOT be insecure about what you’re assigning to them. STOP asking yourself if people are going to be able to do this job as well as you! It is ONLY if you invest time in training and developing your team will they get it right! Also, it’s the only way you can focus on ways to revive your business. And remember, that a lot of people on your team will be required to stretch and over-stretch in order to accomplish their goals and while they’re doing that they may fail. Fail, why? Because they too are dealing with this crisis and are doing a variety of things for the first time. So, YOU have got to be patient and okay with it. But be clear of the outcome you’re expecting.
It’s also very important to Be Clear when you delegate. This is the ONLY thing to remember when you’re delegating to your team –
- Ask When They Don’t Tell
- Tell When They Don’t Ask
- Clarify Before Conflicting
Another question I keep getting asked is : How do I keep my team motivated and positive especially in these times? The only solution is to ensure your communication is strong and more frequent than ever. Don’t be afraid to Over Communicate. Yes, I’m actually doing that with my teams more than ever right now because I’m concerned about their general well-being and mental health. Working remotely in the same environment for an indefinite period of time can really get to people. So, make sure to keep checking up on them. And no, it’s not just about work or the tasks that they’re assigned to do. It is about checking up on things beyond work! That’s the true skill of leading in these turbulent times, entrepreneurs. Have video calls with your team on a weekly basis and regular calls everyday just to show them that YOU are right with them and showing them support and standing by them will really, really motivate them in these times.
whatever you’re doing right now may not necessarily result in a boom in your business. So, firstly be okay with that. Secondly, I strongly urge you to use this time and period very wisely by focusing on how best you can learn from this situation and strategize to bounce back. As leaders you have to understand that you serve as the voice of reality. Your past (pre-COVID) is inconsequential but stand strong as a leader and TOGETHER with your teams you can win this battle and emerge stronger as a team!
