Strong leadership is essential during times of uncertainty. Day to day, many great leaders may be able to slip into the background of their work environment and handle things behind the scenes. If things are running smoothly, it may be possible to lead well without having your face seen all that often. However, that simply isn’t the case when times become turbulent. When the ground feels shaky, people want to see and hear from their leaders so they know and understand what is being done to keep things safe and stable. When there are changes, confusion, or any sort of disruption taking place, leaders are watched more closely. So what do great leaders do during uncertain times to keep their teams reassured? 1. Consistent Communication When things get rough, it’s okay to send out more messages than normal. In fact, it’s preferred. When you think about consistent communication during difficult times, don’t just think about frequency. Think about the consistency of tone and message. Make it clear you’re calm. Communicate what is being done about the situation, and provide an overview of what your team is doing to handle it. This is a good time to hand out extra praise for how your team is handling things as well. You want your team to not only trust you but your organization. 2. Reach Out Talk to your people one-on-one as often as you can. These don’t have to be long encounters. You want to engage employees during uncertain times, and to do that, they need to feel cared about. It’s easy for people to feel lost and unimportant during these times. They need to feel connected to the company. Take the time to listen to your employees’ concerns and, where applicable, really address them. This may seem more difficult if you’re managing remote employees, but take the time to schedule a brief video call or another check-in. It’s particularly worth it with remote employees to keep everyone connected and part of the team. 3. Keep Your Tone Honest People communicate more today than ever before. They hear more messages on the news. They hear from their friends and family and read messages on social media. All of this has amounted to an audience that has a better ear for inauthentic messages. Your words have to mean something. Saying things like, “Get back to work,” won’t be well received today. Pretending that things are fine when they’re not will always ring false. Instead, tell your employees what’s actually being done to address the situation so they can feel assured it’s being handled. 4. Pay Attention Read the room. Watch what’s happening. Leaders in uncertain times need to know what’s happening within their company. Small rumours become a lot bigger during uncertain times. While it may feel frustrating that there will be rumours going around about your leadership style, it’s essential to remain calm and aware. Talk to the other leaders in your workplace. Go over what’s happening. Do your best to pivot to the tone of the company and find ways to lead them toward long term business goals in a way that builds a healthy company culture.
