The last seven years have proven to be some very challenging economic times. If your leadership had never been severely tested in the past, I am fairly certain that it has been over these years. If not, the test will come.
Courtesy of Workspace Creative
People everywhere are looking to their leaders to provide a sense of security and stability. Although this has been particularly true in the historical downturns in our economy, the research done by Gallup shows this to be a consistent desire people have regarding their leaders. Let’s take a look at four simple ways you can be an anchor in the storm.
A SOLID FOUNDATION
People want strong leadership. They want solid support they can count on. This is true regardless of the economic landscape. Strong, however, does not mean overbearing or domineering, but rather consistent, capable and dependable.
When there is a firm foundation of leadership, people are free to focus their energy and talents on the overall vision as well as the tasks at hand. They don’t have to worry about who is steering the ship or whether the ship is being steered at all. They are confident and assured.
CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF PROVIDING STABILITY
1. Having stable core values. These are the beliefs that you hold deep down that guide your daily decisions. These cannot change with the wind. This does not mean that you are not learning and growing, but that the core of who you are as a person is solid and enduring. They know you and can count on you.
2. Leading with transparency. In the absence of information the human mind tends to assume the negative. Don’t ever forget this principle. Communicate the true story about what’s happening. If you don’t, they will write their own soap opera – and it’s usually not healthy and happy.
COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE
Organizations have different views about the level and amount of information they share. However, in my experience, most organizations don’t share a sufficient amount of information. Sometimes this is intentional, but most instances I have encountered were due to ignorance of the effects of that posture. The information people are most interested in is:
1. How are we doing as an organization? Employees want to know how the organization is doing financially. They also want to know whether or not the team is making progress toward their goals. They desire to be a part of a successful operation and want to know if that is happening or not. If not, what is the plan to right the ship?
2. How am I doing? People want to know where they stand with their boss. They want to know if they are performing well and meeting your expectations? If they are not, they want to know how they can improve. Your perspective and their perspective may not always line up, but the opportunity to have that discussion is deeply important. I wrote more about this concept in my e-book titled, “10 Ways to Get More of What You Want.” Get a complimentary copy by subscribing to my blog.
Sharing the truth about these two things will go a long way with your team. As an example, Gallup’s research demonstrates that people who are highly confident in the financial future of their organization are nine times as likely to be engaged in their jobs. That has a direct impact on the bottom line.
Providing strong, stable leadership allows your team to focus their energy and talents on producing the results you expect of them.
How are you doing at providing a stable environment? What can you do today to act on just one of the 4 simple ways described above?
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