Leading Through Adversity: How to Adjust Your Style to Weather Any Storm

If this pandemic has taught us anything, the level and style of leadership across the US Government and US Businesses varies widely. A quick look at government leaders like  Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Dr. Fauci, Andrew Cuomo, Gavin Newsom shows how differently a crisis can be addressed. For the public, there seems to be no middle ground. You either love the way they’re handling things or you hate it. The same seems to be true with our captains of industry: Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos. Are they helping the world or helping themselves?

One thing is evident being a leader is difficult, leading through adversity is next level stuff. When you’re in a leadership position, whether it’s at work, as a volunteer or within your friend circle, how do you adapt your style to fit the situation?

Read, Don’t React: when things are changing, a leader must quickly read the situation and accept that change is occurring. He or she may not understand the full extent of the change or know how to solution it, but recognizing that there’s a shift is critical. This is not the time to be obtuse or flippant about what’s happening. Leaders stand out when they can say, “I see this happening and we’ll get through it.”

Adopt a 360° View: during a crisis it’s easy to look outward to find a cause or pinpoint a problem. This may be key to identifying the “what” of it all. But in order to adjust, a leader must look within. For example, are you a leader who takes input from others or do you act on your own advice? Are you purely data driven or do you apply gut feel to decision making? Understanding your leadership motivators will help you pivot, strengthen or soften where needed.

Be the Calm: When your team struggles or is concerned about what’s next you have the opportunity to hear them out. Town Halls, Manager Q&As or AMAs are easy ways to solicit feedback and hear what’s on your team’s mind. Recognize that as a leader, people need to hear from you and you need to hear from them. The act of listening should never be underestimated.

How have you evolved your leadership style to navigate a crisis? Let’s discuss!