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!
The Utility Player Advantange
Any sports fan can define a utility player. What they probably can’t do is name one. Utility players are generally not given the All-Star nod, they’re not seen shaving in a Gillette ad or featured in magazines escorting models to events. Ask someone to name a great shortstop; quarterback or center and the conversation could likely go on for days. Ask them to name a utility player and out comes their device for a Google search
If the specialists get the glory, the bank and the arm candy, why bother with being good at a multitude of things?
In my big corporate days and now in my consulting career, I’ve always considered myself to be a utility player. The key to playing that part is being able to perform several functions effectively and competently. Effectiveness and competence in the wake of change, growth or shifting economies are things I want on my team all day, every day. While being great at one thing has its advantages so does being able to succeed in multiple roles.
For example, excelling across multiple disciplines will help you:
Prepare for bigger roles with wider reach – Quick, name a CEO who’s only good at 1 thing! I can’t either.
Raise your profile throughout the organization – The more you do, the more people know you, the bigger your network and fan base.
Be invaluable during tough times – As companies are tasked with doing more with less, the jack-of-all-trades becomes the go-to staffer.
Remember effectiveness and competence are critical. It’s not enough to be able to do a variety of things or to be willing to try something different. You have to crush all things equally whether you’re playing first base or playing shortstop.
Who's your favorite utility player? Leave your answer in the comments. Be creative! There are plenty of utility players outside of sports.