Managing people at work is not easy, even under “normal circumstances” (and many of us are wondering what that even means these days). In an ideal world, the traits of great leaders really shouldn’t be different than what they are every day; but rather, significantly magnified. Crises serve as litmus tests of a leader’s true grit, leadership character, and willingness to take responsibility for anything and everything that impacts both his or her people and the organization as a whole.
Real leaders seek to remove all obstacles for their people as they strive to achieve the common goals of the organization; however, a crisis or evolving situations with the business can make this seem daunting, not to mention impossible. The saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” – whether it was first said by Joseph Kennedy or football player and coach, Knute Rockne – means that, “...when the situation becomes difficult, strong people are able to step up and handle it.” Even with the myriad of problems facing us today, the old saying is still very much relevant when it comes to leadership skills and management skills. You will be a better manager if you follow this timely advice.
Be a servant leader, and hold yourself to the same accountability and standards as you expect from your entire team. A successful manager and leader will demonstrate that they are a part of that team!
The best leaders are agile enough to make decisions and adapt to changing conditions when necessary, but they don’t rush to action or take unnecessary risks in a time of crisis without feeling confident about the course of action (or without consulting team members).
Intended outcomes, expectations, course corrections and responsibilities must be established and communicated from the onset and realize that this is an ongoing process. You will be a better manager and leader when you are understood without a lot of preamble.
This ties in with communication in terms of managing people effectively, as loyalty is gained through a trustworthy and honest management style, mutual respect in conversations, and guidance, and allow them to identify opportunities!
Let your people know that you have their backs, be accountable for any mistakes you may have made, and let them know that they represent a valuable contribution to the solution. If your people feel you value them and their well-being, they are much more likely to be more productive and loyal to both you and the organization. While you may not be able to provide unlimited access to each person directly, good managers make every effort to make the whole team feel they are making a meaningful contribution to solve problems.
As a leader and a good people manager, you are expected to be energetic, innovative, visionary. When you come to work, exhibit these traits, as they will likely be infectious!
This ties in with being humane and illustrates that a great leader is self-aware and empathetic as you all experience the crisis or changing environment together and work toward a mission with common goals. Effectively managing people means effectively understanding people.
Ideally, you will have developed a team that allows you to feel confident delegating responsibilities based on each person’s strengths. You can then assign roles in the most effective way to solve the problems and challenges at hand while you focus on high-level decision-making, as opposed to micro-managing.
Great leaders are by nature creative, analytical, innovative and are critical thinkers, which are all talents that are essential in a time of crisis or change.
What does the future of the organization look like once you have weathered the storm (or storms)? Successful people management strategies include making sure your people know you value them in creating the future outcome of your organization. Talk with them about it.
The best leaders anticipate problems and make sure their people understand that they do. Instill confidence with your team by illustrating that you naturally possess the skills to navigate each crisis or evolution in your business that you face.
Your people are on the front lines, so any tips for managing people during a crisis – and beyond – should include asking for their feedback, listening to them, and making them feel welcome for their contributions to the solutions. Effectively managing people depends on other team members' buy-in to whatever crisis your business is experiencing.
Ineffective leaders will take a fire, fire, fire approach to problem solving, while entrepreneurs may tend to take a ready, fire, aim approach. Would it not be better strategically to take a ready, aim and then fire approach after determining how prepared your organization is to take action toward the best possible outcome during a challenging time for your business?
When you consider how to manage people and businesses in crises, who would you rather be compared to as a leader: One who acquires the nickname “Neutron” or “Chainsaw,” or one like Sir Richard Branson who has positively changed the game in terms of both his businesses and his dynamic, inspirational leadership style? Branson’s three leadership principles are listening, learning and laughter. These principles have served him extremely well as he has built some of the most renowned brands in the world.
“My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them.” ~ Sir Richard Branson
At the Securieon Group, we recognize that few businesses have a Sir Richard Branson at the helm; but we also know that we can work alongside your leadership team during times of crises, change and uncertainty and enhance your management skills and management style in a way in which you bring out the best in the people you lead. We’ll help you assess and augment your team, filling in any gaps you may have that could prohibit your ability to successfully weather the storms. We'll take your good managers and make them a better manager.
During times of crises, leadership can often benefit from an unbiased resource that can serve as the third person removed in people management, take the emotions out of the equation, and help you make the difficult decisions you need to make in order to strategically and compassionately navigate your way through.
If this is the situation you find yourself in as a business leader, we suggest you consider the Securieon Group as part of your solution. We are a team of hands-on, executive advisors with multi-industry expertise, a holistic approach, and a track record of successfully working with privately held companies and shepherding them through their most challenging times.
We are a business consulting and management advisory firm specializing in developing high-performance growth strategies, pre-M&A planning and restructure execution for each client.
Securieon Inc.
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