During turbulent times, many leaders believe ‘working harder’ is the answer. Tom Young believes the opposite is true, that effective leaders must pause, reflect and look before they leap
As an executive coach to many C-suite leaders in the Gulf, I’ve noticed over the last six months than many are under increasing pressure from shareholders, no doubt alarmed by the tumbling oil market and the subsequent effect on their business.
The knee-jerk reaction in the face of unexpected turbulence is often to work harder, move quicker and thus (the logic goes) create certainty and thus safety. As if moving too little or too slowly was responsible for creating those circumstances in the first place.
This is a fear-driven and short-term reaction. A mature leader, on the other hand, will see the opportunity in adversity and consider the long-term benefits. There are few ways these strong leaders go about responding to a crisis, and here are a few of my observations.
Many reflect on gaining new answers from old questions – where are we and what do I want to get out of this situation? Is there an opportunity to use this to change the organisation? It’s having the discipline to step back and take an objective look at the situation is key for a leader when times are tough.
There’s a Japanese proverb “If you have two options, choose the 3rd one”: The business world loves duality and opposites – either you’re growing or you’re shrinking, the market’s a bull or a bear. Black or white. The astute leader recognises that the reality is far more nuanced and they learn to understand the possibilities in the many shades of grey in between the black and white.
Leaders also must go back to the ‘why’. As Simon Sinek says “people don’t buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it”. In tough times, leaders need to either re-connect or consider, for the first time perhaps, their personal and professional purpose.
Research by Goffee and Jones at LBS shows that team members are more likely to trust and follow a leader who has a deep sense of purpose within an organisation; a desire to create a “dent in the universe” (Steve Jobs) that sustains them beyond “making a profit for shareholders”.
The CEO of a fledgeling, highly ambitious finance organisation we work with, was reminded through our coaching that it’s crucial for him to be the ‘guardian of the company dream’, (the why) when interacting with shareholders overly pre-occupied with numbers.
It’s also important to ensure your team knows they are valued. A CEO client of mine’s response to major external pressure is to be critical of his team’s performance. He pushes them harder, which can affect moral in a negative way. Instead of kicking your people while they are down, the right response is to have clear, agreed expectations and performance outcomes to support a recovery plan.
To create fellowship, leaders must get past the ‘superhero’ stereotype of an all-knowing leader. Effectively leaders are prepared to engage on an emotional level Being able to empathise and talk openly about their own uncertainties has been shown to improve levels of engagement and involvement in teams.
While sharing bad news regarding greatly reduced bonuses recently, a client of ours was planning to keep a lid on his emotions by keeping it “all about business and what’s next”. Instead, he chose to listen and empathetically witness the disappointment of his people, while sharing that he was preceding his own bonus as well.
There can be a tendency for leaders to look inward and try to find ‘answers’ alone; perhaps based on a dated but still widely held belief that ‘I’m the boss so I need to have the answers’.
With the level of complexity and speed of change facing businesses today, a leader is better served in their organisation by using the talent at their disposal. As an added bonus, it makes the team feel valued and included in the process.
Tony Schwartz of The Energy Project uses this metaphor of a sprinter over a marathon runner in business. It’s more important to sprint – works in a focused manner for short bursts, before taking the time to reflect and re-charge.
A Saudi client of ours realised scheduling back-to-back meetings made him feel useful and busy, but ultimately it was counter-productive. He spent so much time learning new material, that he had no time to assimilate and extrapolate meaning from it.
Successful leaders in turbulent times recognise a seemingly chaotic environment can be a gateway to creating a better, more robust business. It begins with reining in the urge to react fast and instead look at the problem with curiosity.
Why? Because if you do what you’ve always done, then you get what you always get. A leader’s primary role is to create positive change. When the environment shifts, it’s an invitation for leaders to do the same.
They must adapt, learn and grow themselves, which will enable their organisation to do the same.
Tom Young is the first executive and leadership coach in the UAE to attain the Master Certified Coach accreditation from the International Coaching Federation. For more information, visit http://www.springcoaching.biz/ or email [email protected]