Authored by: Richard L. Baucom, CEO
Most, if not all, would agree – challenging times are a test of leadership. Leaders need to be able to stay calm, focused, and optimistic in the face of adversity. They also need to be able to communicate effectively with their team, build morale, and make tough decisions.
Tips for leading through challenging times:
- Be transparent and honest. Never try to hide the truth from your team or dilute the messaging with sugarcoated versions. Rather, be honest about the challenges you are facing and offer suggestions to overcome those challenges, or better yet, engage the team on what they think needs to be done.
- Be empathetic. Understand that the team is also going through a difficult time. Focus on being supportive and understanding and let them know that you are there for them.
- Be decisive. For many of us, this can be one of the most challenging imperatives. When tough decisions need to be made, don’t hesitate. Make decisions quickly and communicate them clearly to your team.
- Be positive. Remaining positive and optimistic is super important amid challenges. Demonstrate to the team your confidence in their abilities to overcome the challenges you are facing. Never underestimate the value of being a source of hope and encouragement.
- Celebrate successes. Take the time to celebrate successes along the way. This will keep everyone motivated because it serves as a reminder of the positives that can sometimes feel buried among challenges.
Specific things all leaders can do to improve their leadership during challenging times:
- Communicate regularly. Every relationship in our lives benefits from improved communication and this is certainly true with the team/leader relationship. Clarity around expectations, updates on the most recent developments, and reassuring others of your availability to help will make a huge difference to the team.
- Empower your team. Many of us have to really make an effort to be intentional about this, but we should never underestimate what can be accomplished when providing team members the authority and resources needed to do their jobs. When we tap into the creativity and innovative ideas generated by a team, diverse ideation is fostered and pathways to overcoming challenges become clearer. At our company, INNOVATION is one of our core values and we solicit input from team members to share creative ideas and solutions.
- Provide training and development. Help your team members to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful. This will promote a sense of being more resilient and better equipped to handle challenges. For instance, last fall we launched BK Academy to reinforce our commitment to ongoing learning and development for everyone on the team.
- Recognize and reward good work. Establish a framework for recognizing and rewarding team members when they go above and beyond in their work. Again, a little encouragement goes a long way in diminishing the weight challenges often bring on a team’s morale.
Leading through challenging times is never easy, but acceptance of the fact all leaders will likely face this at some point in their careers is essential. It is critical to acknowledge we all can benefit from these reminders. In doing so, we can help the team overcome challenges and achieve greater wins!
