We had a client talking to us the other day about developing sessions to support their leaders to continue being constructive in these tough economic times. I believe this is where constructive behaviour can absolutely bring out the best for the organisation and in people – and it requires great courage and humility. So much easier to bunker down and look after yourself and your budget while blaming the economy for your choices.
I believe at the heart of being constructive during tough times is complete transparency in what is happening, what you know, what you don’t know and how you are feeling; as the leader in an organisation and as a leader of people. Then encouraging everyone else to do the same and this takes humility. This part is not about you and your ego.
Out of these conversations can come solutions no one person could have thought of and out of these conversations comes support with people embracing the ultimate solutions because they understand. Too often leaders bunker down during the tough times and think the only way out is to be tough, from an ego and task perspective. They do this kind of “tough” by ordering people around and imposing solutions. This is the safe tough because it does not involve vulnerability. They come from a source of positional power and disengage from the people and the feelings associated with the decisions. In this way organisations lose their heart and soul. When the good times return people remember – they remember how you lead and treated people when the going got tough!!
Courageous leaders remain constructive during the tough times. They leverage their learning and change agility and mix it in with the resilience to bounce back. To do this you need to come from a growth mindset (as espoused by Carol Dweck – see my tweets for more insights!) and prevent ego from getting in your way – not easy for many leaders.
Be vulnerable, expose your very real thoughts and feelings. Share what you don’t know and share what you are scared of – and remember this is not a sign of weakness, it is a strength and it is highly constructive.
