Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 69

How The Best Leaders Are Already Planning Past The Crisis

When a crisis disrupts the usual order of things, leaders can’t settle for just dealing with what’s in front of them today. They need to immediately begin looking ahead and planning for the future to make sure they’re prepared for what comes next—even if they have no idea what shape it will take.

It may feel like a time to sit and wait, but in fact it’s a time to be proactive about the future—yours, your team’s, and your organization’s. Here’s how you can emulate the best leaders in planning through crisis.

Brainstorm. Gather the sharpest minds and most insightful thinkers in your organization to discuss what the next months and years may look like. Spend time together exploring a range of scenarios and tracking for each of them how you can move the business and its people beyond the crisis.

Discover opportunities and threats. In the discussion of each possible scenario, include a big-picture assessment of possible opportunities and threats, grounded in awareness that the crisis is changing not only your organization but also your industry and your customers.

Create certainty about priorities. You can empower people through uncertainty if you hold true to the values and priorities that drive your team’s mission and communicate those values and priorities clearly and often. When everything is shifting, people need a North Star to navigate by.

Lead with speed and agility. In unpredictable times you don’t have the luxury of playing wait and see—you must be proactive and able to move quickly and confidently in a new direction, with the willingness to pivot and make adjustments as events unfold.

Learn from the present while planning for the future. As a crisis is unfolding, you’re learning something new in every moment. Make sure the most current information and trends are reflected in your strategic planning.

Gain commitment from your people. Especially if you’re faced with moving in a new direction, your people need to fully commit to the vision and plan. That means it can’t be a top-down initiative—their voice and involvement are an important part of the process. Leadership based on collaboration and not control—trusting that people are smart and know what to do—fosters the commitment and energy your team needs to tackle the crisis and to continue a journey of growth when it’s over.

Connect vision to mission. Any new vision must meet two criteria: it must be inspiring and it must be tightly aligned with your organization’s purpose.

It’s easy in difficult times to become paralyzed by the day-to-day challenges. But it’s the leaders who think ahead with courage and vision who will achieve long-term success.

Lead from within: The best leaders are always building on what is happening today to create successful future. When crisis hits, they keep their fears to themselves but share their courage and vision with others.

 

 

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How The Best Leaders Are Already Planning Past The Crisis appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

The One Aspect Of Crisis Management That No One Talks About

Some people are more suited to crisis leadership than others. Many hunker down and hope they make it through. Others are bold and dynamic, always driven to stay a step ahead of events.

But throughout the spectrum, there is one aspect of crisis management that no one is talking about. Whatever your approach, you must stay aware of your people.

What’s happening today is effecting every person on your team at a deep level. And if you want to stay successful as a leader, you need to address those changes.

Here are some of the ways your people are likely reacting:

Some go into deep into action mode. Many people think that if they stay busy and are in constant motion, they won’t have to address what is happening around them. So they go into action mode. Some of my clients are now working 16-hour days just to keep moving.

Some are angry and don’t even know it. People may be feeling frustrated—about change, about uncertainty—unaware that underlying that frustration is anger. Anger happens when frustration isn’t being addressed. A massive crisis that changes nearly every aspect of life with no clear end in sight is a perfect example of a situation that can cause deep-seated anger.

Many are mourning what used to be. People are likely to be mourning their old lives and wishing things could go back to what used to be. Some may be grieving for long-awaited events, family gatherings and celebrations that have been canceled. Others may have lost a friend or family member. When people are grieving, emotions such as guilt, despair, fear and anxiety are common.

Most are reflecting on their lives. Crisis often triggers inner turmoil, because it takes away the noise of everyday distractions and gives people a clear look at their life from a new perspective. They may be asking themselves, Am I where I need to be? Is this what I thought I would become? Is this giving me the joy I was looking for? And the answers may change their future direction.

If you aren’t recognizing what is happening to your people and communicating with empathy and understanding, you may be facing a bigger crisis within your organization than you realize. Leading in a crisis is not about just having an action plan and implementing it for success. It’s about acknowledging your people and accepting that they’re likely to be going through things that will take them some time, and maybe help, to work thorough.

As a leadership coach, I have seen countless organizations in crisis, and I know the price of ignoring its human dimension. if you want to keep your most talented and capable people, address the issues they’re struggling with.

Lead from within: Crisis management is not only about having a plan for the future; it is recognizing your people for who they are and what they need from you as a leader.

 

#1  N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: istockphoto

The post The One Aspect Of Crisis Management That No One Talks About appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Why Are Smart Leaders So Dumb At Motivating People

According to a recent Gallup poll, only about 25 percent of American employees say they are engaged in their work. A near majority, 43 percent, admit they’re checked out.

These results are startling. Why are so many people feeling disconnected at work? The sad truth is that even the smartest leaders don’t always know how to motivate their people. So what can you do to buck the trend and keep your employees engaged? Here are some thoughts:

Stop motivating with rewards and start inspiring with purpose. Many leaders think that if you hand out rewards people will be happy, but that’s not necessarily the case. People are driven by a purpose, a connection to the mission of their team and organization that helps them understand the importance of their role.

Stop motivating with perks and start inspiring with a greater cause. Usually when morale is low, it’s situational, because something’s going on that makes people feel frustrated and tense. But when people are connected to a cause greater than themselves, they have a different mindset. By thinking of themselves as part of something bigger, they can overcome day-to-day frustrations and move forward positively.

Stop motivating with compensation and start inspiring with growth and development. Most leaders think the more you pay people the happier they are. While it’s true that people who are paid what they’re worth are happier than those who aren’t, what really makes a difference is when that compensation is viewed as part of an overall investment in their professional growth and development. People get excited about their work, and their employer, when they’re treated as a worthy investment.

Stop motivating with words and start inspiring with actions that matter. Many leaders are terrific with words. They’re able to fire people up with great speeches, but ultimately none of it matters if their actions don’t match their words. It is the leader who follows up with action that inspires others, even if they’re not the most eloquent.

There’s a big difference between motivation and inspiration, sometimes called intrinsic motivation by leadership theorists. They’ve known for a long time that motivating people by dangling carrots doesn’t work, but it’s a mindset that remains deeply ingrained in our business culture. It’s not hard to see, though, that it isn’t serving us well. If it were, we wouldn’t have so many employees who feel disconnected and demotivated.

Humans don’t do their best work under conditions of external reward, but when they’re inspired by the purpose and meaning of what they do.

So if you want to stop motivating your people the wrong way, lead with the kind of motivation that allows people to feel there is purpose, meaning and a higher calling for what they do.

Lead from within: Be the kind of leader who really gets their people and understands what motivates them to come to work and do what they do every day.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post Why Are Smart Leaders So Dumb At Motivating People appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

If Humility’s So Important, Why Are So Many Leaders So Arrogant

The importance of humility is practically a cornerstone of leadership. So why are so many leaders so arrogant?

Anywhere leadership is being discussed and defined, humility is a key concept. It shows up in books and articles and at leadership conferences around the world. But clearly many leaders are not embracing the concept—at least not for themselves. As a leadership coach, I have the privilege of access to a wide range of leaders at every level, affording me a good perspective on broad issues. Here’s what the leaders I know are telling me about humility:

Humility isn’t even in the top ten qualities of great leaders. I’ve argued this point many times. A leader says, “If you think of the top ten skills of a leader you never see humility.” My response: Even if you don’t see the word, you definitely see what humility stands for. As a leader, you show humility when you listen and care about others. It’s about placing yourself in someone else’s shoes—not a quality to take lightly. Arrogance means giving yourself credit and power, but humility believes in bringing out the power within people.

Humility is a form of weakness. An important reason that leaders don’t embrace humility is the idea that it comes across as weak—and no one wants to be thought of as weak. It’s that same fear of being seen as weak that drives arrogant leaders to put themselves and their personal agendas ahead of organizational objectives and the common good. Those who lead with humility, on the other hand, work to support, inspire and develop others. They teach others the best of what they know and they help others achieve. It’s the ultimate form of strength.

Humility gets a bad rap. Traditional leadership thinking dictates that we can’t be humble and confident at the same time. The assumption among too many executives is that competition—between companies, between teams and between individuals—leaves no room for recognizing or practicing humility. But in truth there is a core of humility in every genuinely confident leader. They don’t have to lead with arrogance to get people’s attention.

At the end of the day, no one likes dealing with arrogant leaders. Even if they come across as strong or powerful, they are rarely accorded trust or respect. Arrogant leaders suffer from an overinflated ego—they believe they matter most.

Those who lead from humility and fearlessness don’t have to lead with their ego. They never feel the need to bully others, sideline their competitors or take credit they haven’t earned. They know who they are and therefore they’re not afraid to shine the light on others.

Lead from within: The biggest difference between humility and arrogance is that  a leader who leads with humility is focused on serving others, while an arrogant leader is focused on being served by others.

 

#1  N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: istockphoto

The post If Humility’s So Important, Why Are So Many Leaders So Arrogant appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

What Your Leadership Will Not Be Able to Give You

There are some things you cannot expect from your leadership. Everyone—in leadership or not—needs to be able to nourish their inner self. You can count on those around you for many kinds of help, but there are some things you have to rely on yourself to provide.

Don’t expect people to hold you accountable as well as you can for yourself. A successful leader will always be responsible. But those you lead or even those above you can’t hold you accountable as well as you can for yourself. You know better than anyone where you’ve succeeded and where you’ve let yourself down.

Don’t expect anyone else to understand what you’re going through. Even if someone has gone through something similar, everyone experiences things differently and in a different context. People may walk the same path, but not in the same way. Spend time working to understand what’s happening in your life and what it means to you, because others will never be able to fully understand it.

Don’t expect others to be your cheerleader. Leadership is about being an inspiration for others and keeping them motivated—but you also have to do the same for yourself. You may draw some inspiration from your team, but ultimately you have to set your own goals and motivate yourself to reach them. Learn to engage your own mind and heart as well as those of others.

Don’t expect praise or recognition. The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things; it’s the one who gets their people to do the greatest things. You may or may not get praise for your leadership from others, and expecting acknowledgement from others can sometimes set yourself up for disappointment. Learn to praise others without expecting the same in return.

Don’t expect people to read your mind. If you aren’t communicating openly and regularly, you can’t get upset with those you lead for not knowing what you think. Assumptions can be damaging, so don’t put your people in a position of having to guess. If they don’t have all the information they need, that’s on you, not them.

Don’t expect your leadership to validate your self-worth. Your value lies within yourself. Other people are tuned in to their own lives. If anything, they’re busy projecting their own needs and wants onto you. But as a leader you have to learn to validate yourself first—then everything will fall into line.

If you got into leadership hoping to get something you will be disappointed, because leadership is about giving to others. That’s why it’s important to learn to care for yourself in ways that can help you honor others.

Lead from within: You can’t expect to receive much beyond your own satisfaction from your leadership, but as a leader you are expected to be your best and lead by example.

 

#1  N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: istockphoto

The post What Your Leadership Will Not Be Able to Give You appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Why Its a Bad Idea to Hire Someone Like Yourself

There’s a weakness shared by many leaders—one that spans cultures and industries—and most aren’t even aware that it’s a weakness. It’s this: in hiring, most leaders gravitate toward people they can relate to, people they can get along with and enjoy working with. While the results of such hires may not be disastrous, they fall short of being the best choice for you and your team.

When you hire someone like you, you’re duplicating a skill set, a background or a perspective—or all three. You already have someone like you on your team; what you need is someone who can complement your strengths, not mirror them. The differences between people are a valuable asset, and the more diverse your team is—the more skills and perspectives you can bring to the table—the stronger it will be. Seek out a range of people, hire them and appreciate them for who they are and what they contribute.

When you hire someone you like, you’re working from the wrong criteria. It’s great to enjoy the people you’re working with, but it’s far more important that they can stretch who you are and what you know. And sometimes the people who stretch us the most are those who can be frustrating and challenging. Don’t look for the most likeable candidate but the one who can bring the most to your team and your leadership.

When you hire someone you get along with, you may be creating an echo chamber. It’s always a good experience when you have positive chemistry with a prospective hire—when something immediately clicks—but you may be surrounding yourself with people whose personalities are too similar to your own. While you don’t want to hire anyone toxic or exceptionally difficult, remember that some tension is necessary for developing great work. The right kind of tension means you and everyone on the team are challenged to be open to new ideas and to shift your way of thinking—and that’s a positive force.

Making a bad hiring decision can be costly to your business and your leadership reputation. But bad hires are easier to avoid than the ones that aren’t terrible but also aren’t the best you could do. Filling positions with the right people is crucial to making your business and leadership work smoothly, so keep an open mind and remember the value of diversity when you’re tempted to hire someone who appeals to you on a personal level.

Lead from within: If you keep hiring people like yourself, people you like, and people you get along with, you’re depriving yourself and your team of important opportunities for growth and achievement.

 

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post Why Its a Bad Idea to Hire Someone Like Yourself appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Be Productive While Working Remotely

From a distance, working from home looks great. The illusion is that it gives you more flexibility and agility to get things done. But research has found that working from home can be challenging, especially if you don’t know how to focus your energy or schedule your time.

In my work as an executive leadership coach I have found that people who work effectively from home share certain habits. Here are some of their techniques to help you stay productive while you’re working remotely:

They create a routine. People often think that a routine will kill their creativity and make them feel too constrained. But establishing and sticking to a routine is a great way to stay motivated and engaged, which in turns helps you be more productive. Without the structure of a traditional workplace, an individualized routine can help keep things balanced and moving forward.

They create a to-do list for tasks. You may be going into working from home with a lot of great ideas about what you’ll be able to accomplish, but the best way to make sure those things actually get done is to set an intention and write it down. Create a prioritized to-do list to stay on top of your responsibilities. As a bonus, you’ll get the satisfaction of crossing items off as they’re completed.

They minimize distractions. Squeeze all the productivity you can out of your work hours. You may not have scheduled meetings, coffee breaks, and impromptu discussions as in the workplace, but you have to learn to tune out housework, laundry, family discussions, and trips to the fridge. Keep yourself focused and on task.

They set limits on work. Home may have its distractions, but it’s also easy to get lost in your work and let time pass without a clear end to the work day. And when you do, you run the risk of burning yourself out. That’s why it’s crucial to separate work from your personal time. Work hard but set limits, giving yourself healthy breaks and setting time to shut down work and make the transition to personal life.

They set up a workstation. Designate a place for work and corner it off. That way, when you’re there, your brain is cued to focus on work. And when you need a break or the end of the work day comes, walking away will help you mentally leave work behind until you pick it back up after your break or the next morning.

They practice self-care. Last, but certainly not least, when you work remotely it is of prime importance to take care of yourself and to stay in tune with your energy levels and mindset. Studies have found that those who work from home tend to keep working even through illness. Give yourself space and time for balance and—when you need it—healing.

Lead from within: Working remotely can be a challenge, but learning from those who do it best can help us all do it better.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How to Be Productive While Working Remotely appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

The Most Effective Ways Leaders Handle Stress

Leadership is stressful even in the best of times. And leading through a time of crisis elevates that stress levels that often feel unmanageable. That’s why every leader needs to know how to strategically and effectively manage stress. Here are some things to remember when it feels like you have more than you can handle:

Prioritize self-care. The best leaders are selfless people working in pursuit of a higher purpose and serving their people. They’re quick to give up their personal time and energy to get the job done. But to be a good leader, you have to begin by taking care of your own mental and physical well-being. When you make self-care a priority, you strengthen yourself for the long run and set a good example for your team.

Learn to say no. Setting manageable priorities is important at any time, but in times of crisis it’s more important than ever. Think about the activities and projects that are absolutely central to your organization’s mission, and turn down the rest. Upholding clear priorities keeps your work sustainable and protects you and your team from burnout.

Narrow the focus. It’s easy to feel overburdened in difficult times, but when you lose focus you invite stress. As you plan your tasks for each day, maintain a tight view of what’s most important and reasonably attainable. Schedule less important tasks for the future, and delegate when you can.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. We live in a world where people think leaders need to do and know everything themselves. But asking for help—whether it’s in long-term planning, adapting a complex project to reflect new realities, or just getting through the stresses of the day—doesn’t make you weak. If anything, it makes you stronger and more human in your vulnerability.

Set healthy boundaries. At a time when the boundary between work and home life is even more blurred than usual, it’s important to find effective ways to keep it clear. Make a commitment to the time you give yourself every day, whether you spend it connecting with family and friends, reading, exercising, engaging in a prayer or meditation practice, or listening to music—whatever recharges you.

Lead by example. To show others that you don’t expect them to do it all, you need to begin by showing them how it’s done. Instead of micromanaging those around you, practice delegation and trust. Set a good example of effective practices, a balanced work life, positivity and self-care.

Lead from within: The best leaders understand that pushing yourself at maximum capacity 100 percent of the time yields no gains in your long-term performance.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post The Most Effective Ways Leaders Handle Stress appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Engage Employees During Uncertain Times

When times are uncertain, people disengage. They’re distracted by anxiety and personal concerns, worried about the future, and less likely to view the work they’re doing as an important part of their life.

Leaders need to know how to positively re-engage and refocus their people. In tough times employees look to their leaders even more than usual. Here are some ways to help them stay connected and engaged:

Show emotional support. People who are feeling uncertain and anxious don’t want good intentions. They want emotional support and vulnerability, a sense of genuine caring and concern. The best leaders work hard to support the physical and psychological well-being of their people.

Provide insight and communication. Especially in difficult times, employees want a leader who will communicate and provide clarity. At the core of leadership is the leader’s responsibility to calm people down and engage them in a way that provides comfort and assurance along with honesty.

Foster a strong community culture. People often turn inward as they work to cope with stressful situations, but the resulting isolation makes the situation even worse. The cure for isolation and disengagement is community. Do everything you can to keep your team’s community and culture strong so no one feels they’re going through this alone.

Minimize distractions. When your employees are anxious, when their work schedules change, when nothing is operating normally it’s easy for people to feel scattered and disengaged. That’s when the best leaders step up to help people focus by setting goals and maintaining accountability—while also remembering to keep expectations realistic.

Remove financial burdens. As a leader it is important to emphasize to your employees that you are there to support them. If they need financial support to help them through, be creative in finding ways to provide it, and if money needs to come from somewhere, take it from the top. Recently the CEO of Southwest Airlines took a 10 percent pay cut to help their employees out.

Make sure you’re ready for an economic downturn. I have seen unprepared companies get destroyed in downturns. Your best defense—aside from a stockpile of cash, if you’re lucky—is an engaged and determined team. Help them feel positive about their work and show them the gratitude they deserve for their critical role.

Avoid layoffs at all costs. The last thing you should find yourself doing as a leader is laying off people. Review expenses and debt levels now, and commit to resourcefulness and creativity in leading your team and organization through what may be a lengthy recession. Workforce reductions should be the absolute last resort.

The best message you can give your employees, in your words and your actions, is that you’ll all get through this together. Then do everything you can to keep your company and people engaged and productive.

Lead from within: Great leaders know that managing uncertainty is a matter of putting themselves in the shoes of their employees and delivering the strong, compassionate leadership they expect.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How to Engage Employees During Uncertain Times appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Lead in Times of Crisis

Most leaders believe they’re prepared to lead through a crisis. But after working with hundreds of executives as a leadership coach, I’ve found that many of them don’t fully understand what crisis leadership entails. Faced with an actual crisis playing out in real time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by uncertainty. Here are some touchstones to help you remember the things you need to do to maintain success—not only for yourself but also for those who are counting on you.

Meet people where they are. Your first instinct may be to rush into action, but your first job in any crisis is to make sure your people feel safe. Once you’ve addressed that essential element, you can move on to the next steps.

Look ahead, not just around. While you’re reacting to what’s happening in the moment, you also need to be thinking and projecting several steps ahead through every likely scenario. Especially if you can map what’s happening now against an earlier crisis, you can determine what you’re likely to encounter and be prepared to meet it.

Expect frequent course corrections. In times of crisis things are always changing. Make a plan, but be prepared for course corrections along the way. Agility and flexibility make the best plans work, and the more perspectives you consider the better prepared you’ll be to adapt.

Communicate continually. The worst thing you can do in a crisis is to leave your people in the dark. They need to trust that you’ll always let them know what’s going on, even if the news is bad or the answer is “I don’t know.”

Set priorities. Even in the best of times, leaders have to balance urgent needs with longer-term but equally important tasks. In times of crisis, it’s more important than ever to determine what you need to deal with immediately, what can wait, and what you can delegate.

Make sure you’re learning. There is nothing more important than learning from each crisis—examining what is working and what is not, and applying that as experience. If the past can’t teach you what you need to know, make sure you can apply what you learn along the way to the future.

 Aim for constant improvement. Every crisis is an opportunity to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your leadership. Reflect on your initial responses to stress, your emotions and behaviors. As yourself how you can better handle the human dimensions of the crisis. Even in the most challenging situations, great leaders are constantly working to improve themselves.

Elevate others. In stressful times it’s more important than ever to seek out ways to empower and inspire people. Put the well-being of your people before anything else. The way you treat them in a time of crisis will define much of your legacy as a leader.

Lead from within: In a crisis, it’s not the command-and-control type of leader who is successful but the one who stands with their people.

 

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The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

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