Effective leadership practices have been consistent throughout history; however, the tone of leadership shifts with the times. Today, we face a dizzying array of external forces driven by AI and ideology, which increase risk levels and complicate strategic and operational decision-making. Just as the pandemic pushed us into leadership triage mode, we find ourselves again in uncertainty and complexity. Now is a crucial time for organizational leaders to revisit their leadership playbook.
7 essential leadership behaviors to amplify in triage mode
In times of uncertainty, some leadership behaviors are more equal than others. Here are seven that are essential to amplify in this environment.
1. Display fierce resolve
You’re being watched closely. Every word and nuanced gesture is being processed and evaluated against the filters of whether this leader genuinely believes we’ll find a way to navigate this and survive.
It’s time for your inner Shackleton to emerge. It’s your job to get your crew back to safety by every means possible. You don’t do this by delegating; you do it by putting yourself in harm’s way in protection of them.
2. Be brutally honest
This isn’t a time to mince words or use corporate jargon. I once saw a top executive call a special meeting to assure everyone that there would be no layoffs. Guess what? Three weeks later, there were huge layoffs. We all knew he was lying.
Shoot straight. Admit when you don’t know the answers to their questions. Share the tough topics. Ask for their input. And remember, it’s not your goal to be the smartest person in the room. Instead, you need to be the one that gets the smartest people engaged.
One caveat for brutal honesty. It cannot contradict your fierce resolve. Sometimes it’s a balancing act.
3. Trust faster
Time-to-trust determines time-to-performance. You are looking for people to step up, share ideas, take ownership of initiatives and be accountable for results. In the words of the late management professor J. Keith Murninghan, “If you want to be a more effective leader, trust more. The result will be positive reciprocity.”
Your practice of swift trust will backfire on occasion. Adjust and adapt at that time.
4. Accelerate decision-making
Beware the false pursuit of precision when you and your team are in triage mode. I’m not encouraging you to be sloppy; however, it’s imperative to recognize that deep analysis is time-consuming in the face of uncertainty. Instead, focus on rapid learning. Employ a fast-moving process to frame issues, ideate on approaches, outline assumptions and then put your ideas into test mode. Refine, revise and scale on the fly, and don’t wait for perfection.
5. Say “no” faster
Now is the time to throw ballast overboard. Some nice-to-haves will be lost or at least parked. Work with your team to create the filters you will use to accept or reject initiatives. I’m working with a group in this mode right now, and the key question we ask for every idea is, “Does this initiative move us closer to our desired outcome?” If not, it’s tabled.
6. Invoke “Commander’s Intent”
I wrote about Commander’s Intent here at SmartBrief on Leadership a few years ago. It’s more relevant than ever.
The idea is to clearly define the end state of a strategy or initiative and then empower people to find the best way to achieve it. Along the way, you eliminate ambiguity surrounding the desired outcome and maximize empowering people to get it done.
7. Turn up empathy to maximum power
People move mountains and accomplish amazing things when they feel understood and connected. Do whatever it takes to see the situation from their perspectives. Don’t deny their fears. Acknowledge them. Share your concerns. Then, start at the top of this list and work together to drive fear out of the situation.
There’s nothing easy on this list. That’s one timeless thing about leading through tough times. Put these seven behaviors into your playbook, and you will move in the direction of “goodness” with your people. And fair warning: a side-effect of these behaviors is the emergence of high performance. For many, that’s unchartered territory.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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