Challenging and tough times will undoubtedly come. It is hard to escape. The puzzle is what kind of leadership we will exhibit during that time. Those who are green leaders will see lasting harm done, if not see the business fall apart completely. With exceptional Leaders at the wheel, however, a company can actually become more potent and thrive in spite of blue days. As leaders, this must be our primary goal, so here are some ideas on how to be an exceptional Leader when tough gets going.
- Never keep yourself away from the bigger picture.
When things get tough, everybody’s fascination is to become keenly focused on the problem. The right approach, however, is to keep your eyes on the bigger picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t approach the problem. In fact, we have to approach the problem. But what separates a leader from a witness is that the leader doesn’t get caught up in the issue. The leader sees the bigger picture and keeps walking toward the idea. The further they take their people toward the vision, the further away from the issues in hand
- Don’t Get Trapped in the War
When it gets tough, even the most dependable team members can be motivated to start shooting and, sadly, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than concentrating on the foe on the outside, they start to question each other and find many flaws with one another that they usually would not have seen. The Exceptional Leader is the one who can keep from being trapped in this fight. They don’t play the blame game and act objectively and rationally. They know that people are heated and are saying things they don’t really intend to. The people are shooting because they are scared, scarred or angry. As a leader, you must recognize this and rise above it.
- Sacrifice.
When things are hard, like when there have to be cut in salaries etc., the leader must do just that – lead from the front. They need to not only be the one who is paid the best when all is well, but they also need to be the first to happily sacrifice.
- Calmness is supreme.
Panic is one of the lowest of human emotions, and no one is free from it. The Exceptional Leader, however, takes time out daily to think the issues through so they can stay calm. They constantly remind themselves that all is not lost and the fight must go on with a peaceful mind. They tell themselves that being calm will allow them to make the most suitable decisions – for themselves and for their team. Panic only leads to failure, while calm leads to triumph.
- Inspire.
In hard times, people are down. They naturally become pessimistic. They can’t really see how it is all going to eventually work out. Thus, they have a tough time getting going. The Exceptional Leader knows this and will concentrate in on being the positive motivator. They will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the spirit of the group will be silently carried and buoyed by them and their stance. Above all else, they try to show how the final result will be good – and with this, they inspire their followers to go on, facing the current storms, and on to their destiny.
- Create Small Victories.
One of the ways to drive a team is to create small wins. A leader knows that in troublesome days his or her people think that all is dead. They question if they can win. So a Leader creates opportunities for the group to win, even if they are not substantial. They set smaller, more attainable goals and reward and remind the team members when they hit those goals. With each win, the leader in building the attitude and esteem of his followers, elevating them above their self-created hole of darkness.
- Humour.
Look, hardly anything in life can’t be smiled at. A leader knows that even if the whole organization goes down the drain, we still go home to our children and live a life of love with them. A leader keeps viewpoint and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get afraid and fail, and sometimes that is funny. Don’t ever laugh at someone’s expense in this scenario because that will be seen as heartless and cold, regardless of what you really meant by it, but do keep the capacity to laugh at yourself and the circumstances that present themselves. By doing this, you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will ultimately beat the tough times.
