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Leaders can face a difficult challenge when they are called to lead people of diverse backgrounds, generations, ideals, and communication styles, especially through times of great change and turmoil.
Change Can Be Scary
Change can bring about exciting opportunities and growth.
It can also produce a lot of confusion and explosive emotions, with fear driving some people to react in ways that are not always healthy or productive. Sometimes the emotions felt due to a change are totally appropriate, especially when the change is to the detriment of some more than others.
How do we lead through the emotions and turmoil?
How do we get to a place of productivity and progress?
This task may seem impossibly daunting to all types of leaders, from CEOs to Supervisors, Executive Directors to Committee Chairs.
The Role Of A Leader
Let's first examine the role of a leader.
A leader's job is to:
- Define the group vision
- Connect that vision to each individual's personal motivation
- Identify the path to attain that vision
- Remove roadblocks from the path
How do we do accomplish these simple, but not always easy endeavors?
1. Defining the group vision
What is the group's overall outcome that will bring the greatest value? When I say "group" I am referring to a company, an association, a division, a department, or even a family.
What is the mission and valuable output this group is trying to produce? You would be surprised at how many people are just "showing up", going through the daily motions, with no real concept of what the company mission, vision, or goal is.
A great leader provides clarity, defining the targets, goals, mission, and vision in a way that is easily understood and sparks creative and collaborative action.
2. Connect that vision to each individual's personal motivation
The result may be the same for everyone, but each individual is motivated by different aspects of the outcome. If you can understand the individual goals for each member of the group, you can speak to that personal vision and connect everyone to it in a way that motivates.
What does the final result mean to that person? What will they achieve by achieving the group goal? How will it affect their friends, family, or children? They must feel it in their skin, the overarching effects of that positive outcome, so that they can feel compelled to work past the roadblocks that may and probably will arise on the path to the vision.
3. Identify the path
Once people feel motivated to attain the group goal, a leader now must map out the path to achieve that goal, complete with contingency plans for the roadblocks.
A simple and clear plan is more likely to be executed than a long, complex, convoluted scheme. Simple, actionable steps that people can easily wrap their heads around will inspire more focused action. A smart leader follows the KISS rule - Keep It Stupid Simple.
4. Remove the roadblocks
Plan for the obstacles, recalibrate when necessary, and empower others to do the same by offering solutions instead of problems.
Great leaders inspire proactivity among their people. The best leaders create other great leaders. How? Through educating, training, and coaching everyone, making space for them to learn from their mistakes, and grow from their failures.
Removing the roadblocks from the path to a vision often entails tackling the challenges that come from within - things like ego, imposter syndrome, rigidity, or intolerance to diverse thought, ideas, and new approaches. Often, these are the largest obstacles on the path to success. Many leaders are facing these challenges from within the team and even within themselves.
How do we overcome those roadblocks and turn them into runways to success?
Great Question!
Build Your Leadership Toolbox
As an executive coach and corporate trainer, I have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing a team's problems or challenges. I encourage my clients to build a"toolbox" and continue to add to that toolbox as they learn new tactics, skills, and strategies.
Lean on your resources.
Here are some resources, tools leaders are successfully using every day to inspire cooperation and success:
- Team assessments and coaching
- Focused and Productive 1:1s
- Corporate Training
- Executive Coaching
- Daily mindfulness practices
- Team brainstorm and planning meetings with focused agendas
- Team & Client surveys - if we can't introspect honestly, we can't fix underlying problems and shortcomings
Lead With The Vision
Shift happens! It always will. How we inspire others to react, recalibrate, and respond will mark what kind of leaders we are. The proof will be in the results. Did you leave it better than you found it? What result will be the best for everyone involved? Lead with that. Lead with the Vision.
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Inspired by Mitch Savoie Hill's book,
VOLAR - How to Turn Roadblocks Into Runways to Success!
