No company is immune from economic and business model turmoil. But how you handle the challenges is what separates thriving companies from the ones who fail. When your company is faces tough situations, stable, responsive, respectful leadership is the compass that guides your team through the most turbulent storms.
Chee Tung Leong, CEO of HR tech startup EngageRocket, details four major ways leaders can step up during difficult times.
Stick Together, Build Trust – Collaboration is important now more than ever. It’s your job to keep on top of deadlines, while nurturing relationships and offering support resources along the way. Be specific when checking in. Avoid vague questions like “How’s it going?” Instead, ask how you can assist with a particular project, or what are the greatest challenges that need to be addressed. When employees know you are on their team and care enough to ask helpful questions in tight times, they’re more motivated to find the answers.
Be a Compassionate Listener – Spend more time listening than coming up with answers. Give your employees the benefit of the doubt when it comes to problem solving. Your role is to be a responsive sounding board that helps guide your team to solutions. In the process, it’s important to give lots of positive reinforcement and praise for milestones of any size along the way.
Create Stability, Safety – Keep stability at the core of your leadership style, especially during tough situations. Your team depends on you to maintain a steady focus and an open mind to any changes in course. Create a safe zone for employees to make and accept mistakes. When your team feels safe to fail occasionally, they’re willing to work harder, take risks, and achieve more.
Shine the Light – Look, it’s going to get tough. Mistakes and setbacks are par for the course, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep your employees focused on the sunny side, the hope that inspires new possibilities, creativity, and valuable learning opportunities as you encounter the big bumps.
Being a lighthouse leader when things get gloomy is about recognizing you are all in the same boat. A great boss transforms these challenges into opportunities to bring people closer and build luminous problem-solving skills that keep the ship from sinking.
