There are some points in our leadership journey when the journey ahead is rocky, unclear, and full of challenges. Whether it is a challenging economic environment, abrupt organizational change, emerging crises, or high stakes projects, these painful times can challenge not only your leadership abilities, but your entire team’s endurance and morale.
Leading others through difficulty is not just about implementing a series of tasks, but it is about providing care, forward-thinking, meaningful communication, and stead-fast tenacity. It is about being a light in the grey.
Tips on how to inspire and lead your team through difficulty — and thrive together.
1. Be Transparent and Honest and Build Trust
Uncertainty breeds discomfort, those without clear answers will internally and externally dream up anxiety-ridden stories of uncertainty and make up rumors. Leadership is about being transparent and honest (without false sense of security or panic-inducing) is built on trust. Share what you know, be clear what you don’t, and keep communication going.
2. Demonstrate Empathy
Difficult situations affect people differently. Some might feel overwhelmed, some retreat, and some may feel frustrated, anxious, or both. A great leader is engaged with those feelings.
Be sure to listen; acknowledge fears and show them positive care. When your team members feel heard and know you are interested in their wellbeing, they also feel a stronger commitment to you and will likely be braver to face the challenge.
3. Keep the Route in Sight
When things get tough, it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture. Your job is to help your team remember why and what they do is important to you and relate it back to the bigger mission.
In addition, continue to reiterate your core values and goals. Ensure that they understand that the challenge is but a part of a journey and will not define it fully. That can help keep motivation high, even when the situation doesn’t seem to match the vision.
4. Promote Collaboration and Creativity
No leader has all of the answers, especially during rough times. The best thing you can do is to foster an environment for your team to share ideas freely and collaborate across functions. Provide a place for them to play a bit – and ignore if they ‘fail’ because they are learning.
With many different perspectives and creativity, your team can uncover solutions you may have never thought possible.
5. Demonstrate Resilience and Positivity
Your team will be watching closely – especially under pressure but if you can display calm, confidence, and be focused on solutions, it will encourage them to do the same.
This doesn’t mean that you are able to ignore everything else going on – it means welcome the reality of the situation while emphasizing what is within our means next. Don’t forget to celebrate small wins to build some momentum. Small wins also serve as a reminder to everyone that progress is still progress no matter how small.
6. Offer Your Team Support with What They Need
Leadership under pressure is not just about mindset, it is also about taking action to support your team’s ability to be successful. What does your team need? More training? More time? Resources? Flexible hours? Someone to just listen?
When you are willing to invest in your people through the tough days, you will communicate to your team you value them, thus enabling them to give their best, even in tough times.
7. Clarify Priorities and Manageable Goals
During challenging times, teams can often become overwhelmed with a number of issues in their way. Supporting those teams involve clarifying what the most important thing is right now, breaking down the ‘real’ issue into small bite size achievements.
Clarifying priorities serves to lessen anxiety, stimulate momentum, encouragement, and confidence.
Finally, one of the most frustrating, challenging, and yet rewarding experiences in leadership, is leading a team through a period of adversity. When you lead your team with honesty, empathy, vision, and resilience, you do not just bring a team through a storm – you create a more bonded and stronger team, and one that is now ready for what comes next.
Difficult times will come. How you lead that team will not only shape your results but the legacy you leave behind as a leader.
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https://www.15five.com/blog/8-tips-for-leading-through-difficult-times
https://esalimitless.com/challenges-are-designed-to-build-you-up/