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!

Want to Be a Leader? First Things First: You Have to Earn It

The title of manager does not necessarily a leader make. In other words, the terms are not interchangeable. I’ve encountered many managers leading large projects or teams who struggled to garner support or bring their visions to life. Those leaders expected staff to fall in line or simply follow because they were in charge. They underestimated the fundamentals of strong leadership and the importance of leading by example.

Leaders have specific qualities that are universally recognized and respected:

•Good Listeners: Open to hearing other people’s opinions, a leader will engage and connect with people at all levels. 

This an area where my startup clients excel. I find early stage companies more open to hearing differing points of view. They embrace dissent, something they call out in their job descriptions. This type of environment comes from the head down. My startup CEOs lead by listening and by embracing their team's perspectives.

•Relatable: No matter the position in the company, a leader can easily find common ground with others. 

For example, I worked with a manager who was undergoing treatment for cancer, and he used his experiences to promote health and the importance of a work-life balance. He was not afraid to be human—and this built trust with team members.

•Decision Makers & Risk Takers: Leaders have the ability to make decisions without direction from others. They are thoughtful risk takers and consistently move forward—undeterred by mistakes and failures. 

I once worked for a manager who was leading a major technology launch. It was highly complex and highly visible, both to senior management and the company’s clients. A lot went wrong with the launch but this manager gathered a team of trusted individuals, problem solved and fixed what was broken. He was under tremendous pressure but he leveraged his team, made decisions and moved people into action. My teammates and I didn’t think twice about working around the clock to course correct. We were behind our boss 100% because he led by action and inspired us to do the same.

All managers have the potential to become leaders. How? Trust in yourself that you’ll be able to work through every situation. Focus on your responsibility to your team instead of their responsibility to you and you will inspire them to believe in you. 

Contact me today to work on transforming into the type of leader you dream of becoming!