Leading Through Adversity
4 tips to keep you on-track & your team engaged
When your company seems to be hanging on a thread and your employees turn to you for strength and inspiration, it might seem completely counterintuitive to inspire and reassure the people who need you the most. There is hope on the horizon though, even when your world seems to be crashing all around you.
As a leader, you own all decisions and their outcomes—good and bad. You’re the captain of the ship. Your company’s future and your employees’ livelihoods rest on your shoulders.
But what about you?
Employees. Board rooms. Investors. They see you as the keeper of their financial health. But beyond your title, there’s a person—one who feels, cares, needs, and fears.
Clarity of vision and your ability to articulate it might be easy when times are good. In times of crisis, you may be faced with challenges beyond the C-suite conference table or Zoom call. So, what can you do to remain strong, on track, and inspirational?
The 4 Realizations
- Face Your Fears
What are you afraid of? Acknowledge the fears. Burying them simply delays them, only to resurface as a trigger towards others. They can also manifest in anger, frustration, and vacillation—unproductive responses that hinder your progress and ability to lead. Knowing what’s standing in your way will help you overcome it.
- Identify Your Goals & Desired Outcomes
Whatever you were marching towards yesterday may have changed today. Make a list of what you want to accomplish personally and professionally. More importantly, define the outcomes of your goals. If you know what you’re “fighting for,” you stay focused on turning it into reality.
- Set Your Sights on the Future
Energy flows where the mind goes. Manifesting what you want requires a strong vision of what you want to achieve. That visualization leads to accomplishment. According to a survey reported on Forbes.com, 82% of small business owners using a vision board achieved over half their goals, and 89% of millennial entrepreneurs used a visualization board to develop business plans. If you can define what you want the future of your role, your company, and your teams to look like, you stay focused on bringing your vision to fruition.
- Communicate
As a leader, your silence speaks volumes and sparks fear. Articulating your business news is crucial to employee morale, a unified culture, and ultimately productivity. Your team needs to know what you’re thinking as much as they want to be reassured about the state of the company. Be as transparent as possible—this builds trust and partnership. Set expectations with your employees that align with your vision for the future. This empowers and engages your workforce to feel ownership in the health of the company and its success.
Your strength as a leader shines when you are able to balance your personal needs and wants with who you are as a leader. And that leader is the one that your people will respect, trust, and follow through both good and not-so-good times alike.
The future state of your company starts with you, right now.
From leadership advising to engaging your employees, futureAlign can help. For more information about leading with heart or find out how you can achieve your goals with the future that’s possible, get in touch! You can reach me at andrea@futurealign.com.
