Leadership is not a popularity contest, but it is a spectator sport. What you do matters because people are watching you.
I was told to never start an article by describing living in VUCA times, for risk of boring readers right from the off. If you didn’t know, VUCA is an acronym for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. It was coined by a US military college and hijacked by business schools. Bear with me today, because of course it really is a crazy, anxious, VUCA world.
In times of uncertainty we crave extra stability, some guard rails. Standout leaders will step up to show steadiness. People want the emotional safety that comes from clear direction and consistent decision making. They don’t expect you to have all the answers, or to be falsely reassuring, but they need to know what you stand for and to know that you have their back. That makes them feel safe, empowering them to grow confidently. Any ambiguity about your expectations just creates unnecessary anxiety, but there’s plenty of wooliness out there. Research by Gallop found that only 50% of global employees knew what was expected from them at work.
Doing the right thing includes how you show up professionally, day to day. You set the weather. Your mood is contagious. If you have a cynical or irritable vibe it will permeate across your team like mouldy leftovers in the fridge. A negative, fearful culture might cause a short term burst of results, but that’s not what you want. You want sustainable high performance. Leaders who learn to balance this tricky see-saw of hard business skills and generating positive energy are by far the most successful. Even a simple, ‘hello, how are you’ works wonders.
Coming up: controlling the controllables
There’s still time to book onto my Crazy Busy event for the London Business Forum on 17 March. We’ll be exploring how ruthless focus and prioritisation are vital to success.
My ‘Giving Your Team the Confidence to Grow’ webinar for corporate members of Henley Business School had over 280 participants and one kind person wrote that it was the best webinar they’ve attended for years, anywhere. Thank you.
Contact me to discuss a similar event, either online or (ideally) in person, for leaders at all levels, especially those 85% of junior managers who haven’t had any formal training yet.
Thanks everyone for your support so far this year.
Stay safe,
Zena