During uncertain times, team members look to leaders for support and guidance to overcome the challenges thrown at them. It takes a strong leader to be adaptive, not just reactive, when it seems like every day brings a fresh set of changes. It can be particularly difficult for new leaders, who may be dealing with all of this for the first time. But even the most seasoned leaders can feel tested by everything that\u2019s going on right now. How can managers continue to lead effectively and maintain a strong, reassuring presence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In most cases, organizations that emerge more aligned and resilient have leaders who lean into these 4 principles: inform, guide, unite and connect<\/strong>. Here\u2019s a closer look at each one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inform<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As team members struggle to make sense of all the changes going on, they are particularly hungry for information and open communication. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for leaders to communicate early and frequently. Honesty is crucial and leaders must be candid in acknowledging the unknowns. This helps create credibility, builds trust and helps squash catastrophic rumors that may be filtering through the office. Remember, it\u2019s a leader\u2019s job to help team members make sense of all of the uncertainty going on around them and what these changes mean for them. Empathy, patience and compassion go a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Connect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now more than ever, it\u2019s important to cultivate trust with employees. Team members need to feel a connection and leaders who reach out and build an environment of support will be viewed as more credible and reassuring. Now\u2019s the time for leaders to get out of the office and into the hallways. They need to reach out to employees on a personal level and give them opportunities to safely express their thoughts and emotions. Leaders also need to acknowledge that they\u2019re affected by uncertainty and trying to navigate the changes. Everyone, including leaders, may need to seek out support\u2014from friends, family members, mentors or a coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During periods of uncertainty, team members want strong leaders who are comfortable giving direction on what to do – and what not to do. Talking about long-term visions and strategies aren\u2019t going to be very effective when people are bracing for more bad news or still trying to recover from previous upheaval. Leaders may find it helpful to keep things a little more basic and focus on shorter term goals and priorities. Now\u2019s the time for steady guidance and providing as much stability as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unite<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Uncertainty and change remind us of the importance of community. People naturally look to rally around what brings them together, such as shared values, meaningful purpose and knowing that they\u2019re not alone. Leaders can help reinforce these feelings of belonging by celebrating their team\u2019s contributions and resiliency. It sends a strong message of, \u201cWe\u2019ve adapted to changes before, we\u2019ll get through this and we\u2019ll be stronger for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaders at all levels are being tested by the uncertainty and changes in today\u2019s environment. When you have to lead through stressful circumstances, you often don\u2019t know what you\u2019ll show up to\u2014but as a leader you always choose how you\u2019ll show up. Leah M Joppy and Associates<\/strong> can help leaders by providing teambuilding opportunities during times of uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more by calling us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com<\/a>. For a catalog of our services, please send an email to lmjainc@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During uncertain times, team members look to leaders for support and guidance to overcome the challenges thrown at them. It takes a strong leader to be adaptive, not just reactive, when it seems like every day brings a fresh set of changes. It can be particularly difficult for new leaders, who may be dealing with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,2,7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1078"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1078"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1081,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1078\/revisions\/1081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lmja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}