In preparation for a Board of Directors Strategic Planning Retreat I am facilitating next week, I have been reading forecasts about the world in 2025. As usual, there are some dire predictions, but there are also some hopeful ones as well. And even some implausible ones such as, according to the Economist, gorillas getting their own bank accounts (as crazy as it sounds, it’s already in train). In all of this, there’s one certainty:
Everything is uncertain
We really don’t know what will happen. It’s always been this way, although we had become used to operating in a steady state of normal. The global COVID pandemic shocked us into realising that we live in a very uncertain and unpredictable world.
This has implications for the way we lead. What is a leader to do? For do something we must.
“Leadership is action not position”
In August 2020, I published a blog: “How to Lead When the Crisis Won’t Go Away”. The question now might be better phrased as: “How to Lead When the Crises Keep Coming”. Crises occur when the unexpected and unplanned for happen. We can’t predict anything with certainty, but we can imagine different scenarios – from best to worst, and even unimaginable cases. This is the gift that human beings have, that no other species seems to – the gift of exploring different scenarios and their possible consequences before they happen.
I wrote in my blog:
“The fundamental function of leadership is to see the opportunities, despite a present that is bleak, a future that might be even bleaker, and that most people can’t see beyond, to give hope of a brighter future, and to provide forward momentum to keep the vision alive.
The root of the word “crisis” (Greek): krisis = decision. www.dictionary.com tells us that a crisis is a “condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic, political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change.” A crisis is therefore a turning point, or a time to decide, not to be paralysed”.
Your task as a leader is help your team maintain a sense of calm and hope, so that you all can better see the opportunities. I believe that there are 6 things a leader must do to create the space for calm and clarity during times of crisis:
- C = Communication: Communicate openly and honestly with your team. Let your voice be heard, and your face be seen. Do not shrink from bad news. Your team, your customers, your community will appreciate your courage.
- R = Respect: Respect the feelings, ideas and input of others. Listen patiently to your team’s fears and hopes. Invite their input into exploring the opportunities, and together make it happen.
- I = Independence: Be independent of all the noise swirling around, particularly in our era of non-stop breaking news and social media. Stay present and focused. Don’t get caught up in the fray.
- S = Stay Steady: Stay grounded and balanced. Keep focused on YOUR message. Make sure it’s positive and inspiring, without being unrealistic. Keep the message focused on the future, and the bigger vision.
- I = Invincibility: Be invincible – acknowledge what you are most fearful about right now, ask yourself how likely these fears are to be realised and then ideate different approaches for dealing with them. And remind your team that now is the time for courage.
- S = Smile: get yourself in a positive state so that you create a positive, welcoming and caring atmosphere. A simple, genuine smile goes a long way to reassure your team.
And there’s a 7th step – repeat daily!
Whatever happens in 2025, be prepared to make it a turning point, to seeing the opportunities and for maintaining hope in our uncertain world. Accept that uncertainty is normal, and release fighting and resistance to it. Consider this daily practice. And heed these words:
“The future is uncertain… but this uncertainty is at the very heart of human creativity.” – Ilya Prigogine
