All Great Leaders Do This During Uncertainty
Uncertainty is one of the most difficult things we face as humans. Waiting for the results of that medical test, whether or not you are going to have a job, or even make the house payment…on and on it goes. Yikes!
Don’t lose heart!! Breath, seriously take a slow deep breath. As a leader your call is to lessen uncertainty by creating a clear vision for where you are taking your people and their role in doing so. This is one key that all great leaders demonstrate in times of uncertainty. You must help them see what they don’t see-that’s your role.
You may say “That sounds great, but what if I have no clue myself?” Daily focus on what you can control and let the unknown take care of itself. Help employees see beyond the obstacles. Be courageous, honest and focused on what you can do-and do it.
Florence Chadwick was a world record setting swimmer and the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. She set her mind on swimming 26 miles from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes, California. Twenty six miles of shark infested frigid water!!! Swimming in rough and windy seas for 15 hours she was cold and exhausted as a heavy fog set in. Her goal was out of sight, the only thing she could see was the wind, waves and cold. The obstacles were real, but she later explained that this was not the real problem. Without vision she lost focus and decided to climb into the safety boat.
The sad part was not her quitting, the sad part was realizing that she was only a half a mile from her goal. She later explained: “ “It was the fog. “If only I could have seen it, I could have made it!”
If your employees can’t see the goal, by default they see waves. And without vision they lose purpose and give up” As a leader you can help clear the fog of uncertainty and fear of the wind and create a vision of clarity based on what you can control.
Incidentally, Florence didn’t give up, a few months later she went back and completed her goal and set another world record.
Invitation:
- Pause in the chaos identify a vision for where you that to take your people
- Share your vision in a hopeful and courageous way with your team
- Help each team member identify their role and what winning looks like by focusing on what we can control.