Viewpoint: How to Lead in a Crisis
As many leaders have been faced with uncertainty during the trying times the coronavirus pandemic brought upon them, it's important for them to lead with the advantage that the uncertainty can bring. Read this blog post to learn more.
Despite a host of warnings about the impending COVID-19 crisis, it caught most of us by surprise. I recall attending the regular leadership team meetings of a few of my clients the week of March 9, and by March 15, the world had changed. It was no longer a potential crisis; it was a full-on global pandemic where new terms such as "social distancing" and "flattening the curve" became part of our lexicon. A spectrum of responses emerged, from reactive chaos to deploying well-practiced business continuity modes.
The challenge that leaders face in a crisis is that their organizations aren't typically set up to operate with such uncertainty. Leaders create visions, plans and metrics to attempt to control their environments and minimize uncertainty as best they can. In a crisis many leaders default to what they know how to do in order to reduce frustration and quell their own and others' fears. This default mode is simply not productive and rather than reduce uncertainty and anxiety, it increases both.
Today all organizations are faced with a new normal—uncertainty and inability to control the environments in which they operate. We know the pandemic will end but it won't truly be over until a vaccine is available. We know the curve will eventually flatten but projections seem to change hourly. We know people will get back to work but we don't know whether social distancing will continue to influence the economy. We know that remote work is possible on a broad scale but it's not clear if this will work long-term.
Ralph Stacey and Douglas Griffin's definition of a leader is one that lends itself to today's environment: "One recognized as a leader has a greater capacity to live with the anxiety of not knowing and not being in control. The leader is recognized as having the courage to carry on interacting productively and creatively despite not knowing." This definition certainly applies to today's environment of tremendous uncertainty and great anxiety. Clearly there is much we don't know about what the future will hold. It is also clear that leadership today requires an ability to embrace uncertainty and interact productively.
While it's a relatively small sample size, we have been amazed by the approaches our clients have taken to navigate their way through these challenging times. None have had an easy time, and some were certainly more prepared than others, but most have quickly overcome their natural tendency to control and shifted to doing their best to operate in crisis mode. In each case a few important themes emerged for how to embrace the uncertainty – humility, transparency, engagement, focus and patience.
Positive humility. In their own ways, each CEO acknowledged their fear about the unknown and that they didn't have all the answers, but they exuded a sense of calmness and confidence in their organizations to work smart and hard to get through the crisis. By reinforcing and modeling positive humility CEOs have established a tone for their leadership teams to cascade throughout their organizations.
Transparency. CEOs and their leadership teams are proactively communicating difficult information openly and being clear when they don't have answers to important questions. For example, they are not promising that no jobs will be lost but they are committing to pursuing all avenues necessary such as the SBA CARES Loans to secure jobs as long as possible.
Engagement. When in doubt these organizations are doing their best to negotiate clear expectations (i.e., daily check-in sessions with supervisors) and over-communicate (i.e., using email, internal web site and supervisors to reinforce that hourly workers will be paid weekly). They are also encouraging managers and staff to use multiple channels to remain in contact both formally and informally (i.e., Virtual Team Meetings, Virtual happy hours, random watercooler calls).
Focus. After a short period of getting their remote offices working, CEOs and their leadership teams redoubled their efforts to ensure their organizations remained focused on the core mission (i.e., executing loans, building interiors, registering / renewing members). They also reinforced that today's plans would likely change tomorrow and that learning from mistakes and helping employees and customers manage uncertainty is a big part of their jobs.
Patience. In a crisis adults often revert to overdone strengths – people who are naturally decisive might become arrogant or people who tend to be naturally empathetic might become overly protective. These CEOs and their leadership teams recognize this tendency to revert. They are working hard to have patience with each other by giving space, not overreacting themselves and providing gentle feedback.
These are extremely challenging times and despite efforts by the smartest scientists, economists and business leaders in the world, there is no clear path to when things will get back to normal. Ambiguity is a daily obstacle for most business leaders, but today we are dealing with ambiguity on steroids. It is not easy but we are so encouraged to see so many CEOs and their leadership teams embrace the ambiguity to help their organizations get to the other side of this crazy time.
Jack McGuinness is co-founder and managing partner of Relationship Impact, a consulting firm focused on helping great leaders build great leadership teams.
This article is excerpted from www.ChiefExecutive.net with permission from Chief Executive. C 2020. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: McGuinness, J. (20 April 2020) "Viewpoint: How to Lead in a Crisis" (Web Blog Post). Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/employee-relations/Pages/Viewpoint-How-to-Lead-in-a-Crisis-Coronavirus.aspx
The Evolving HR Leader
Article from the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM), by Steve Watson
Leadership dynamics in Corporate America are undergoing major changes, and if todays’ leaders want to impact organizations tomorrow, they must adapt strategies, recognize and accept change, and boldly move forward with a new leadership style.
Among the forces influencing leadership changes:
Technology. We already know that technology has revolutionized work and enabled new ways of doing things. It has given rise to widespread global connectivity, provided instant access to data and information, from anywhere, anytime, and has led to the creation of collaboration tools, giving new competitors lower barriers to enter the competitive marketplace.
Organizational design. Mid-management layers have been eliminated so top management today is closer to individual contributors. Leaders must evolve with four different generations in the workforce with real diversity, multiple and different motivations, and mixed demographics. This brings challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining talent.
Further, some leadership practices have become, or on their way to becoming, obsolete, including:
- Top down management
- Doing it my way or the company way; being directive and controlling
- Rigid management/micromanaging
- Decisions made only at the top
- Defined work with individual work units
- More time in the office and in inner circles
- Expected loyalty
- Annual performance reviews and raises
A little over a decade ago, we didn’t have smartphones, Facebook, Chatter, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media that have significantly altered the way people connect, communicate, and build relationships.
Leadership today must change and evolve with the times, and this means being able to relate to younger generations. Millennials, with numbers at around 86 million, now represent the largest generation in the workforce. Consider the following vis-à-vis Millennials and employers:
1. They are far less loyal to an employer than generations before them have been. No psychological contract exists between them and their employer. They have a different way of viewing work, and it includes incorporate other activities into their time (travel, leisure time, and community service, for example) that might have otherwise been reserved for “usual” work hours.
2. They are team- and group-oriented. Their work style is collaborative.
3. They want to hear from senior management via feedback, open communication, and recognition.
4. They want even more flexible hours and greater work–life balance.
5. They are creative and inquisitive. Knowing “why” is important to this generation. They are unafraid to challenge ideas, methods, processes, and the status quo.
6. They want to improve and grow professionally through training and mentoring.
7. They are service-oriented, care about the environment, and rely heavily on social media.
8. They want to make a difference in the world.
At the core of all of these changes is technology. It allows people to work remotely, collect information immediately, collaborate effectively, and gain access to global markets and information. Employees also can seek out new job functions, making talent retention more challenging today than ever before. So a workforce with technology at their fingertips presents daunting challenges for today’s leaders. In this world, it’s change or die.
Successful evolved leaders constantly adapt to the changing times. They tend to:
- Be strategic thinkers
- Lead by example and build relationships
- Communicate the mission, vision, and goals clearly
- Build high-performing teams
- Serve as a coach and mentor
- Be servant leaders
- Look for ways to knock down barriers
- Set ego aside
- Be collaborative
- Listen with empathy
- Get input from diverse views, gain consensus, and get alignment
- Embrace diversity
- Be flexible and agile (and can deal with ambiguity)
- Have exceptional communication skills
- Be accepting of failure (and uses it as an opportunity to learn)
- Move the needle, drives results, and gets things done
- Exhibit resilience
Evolved leaders are front-and-center and welcome scrutiny from both employees and the public. They understand the need to leverage technological tools and harness cross-generational work styles, and they are astutely aware of the importance and influence of social networks.
See the original article Here.
Source:
Watson, S. (2016 November 14 ). The evolving hr leader [Web blog post]. Retrieved from address https://blog.shrm.org/blog/the-evolving-hr-leader
10 characteristics of effective leaders
Originally posted on https://www.propertycasualty360.com
In any business, effective leadership is critical for an agency’s success. As the insurance market evolves, insurance leaders need to be visionary and adaptable. The prevalence of small businesses in the industry, however, requires a different approach to the traditional leadership model.
Although there are exceptions to the rule, as some agencies have sophisticated business models, many small agencies lack structure.
“Ours is a small business industry, which typically signifies a business with little structure,” said Tom Barrett, president of the Midwest and Southeast regions of SIAA, Inc. “These agencies do not have detailed marketing and business plans, do not follow sales processes, have not created business budgets and take orders rather than selling products. Most have an inventory of nine coverage lines to sell, yet they only offer three. These agencies provide what the customer asked for rather than selling additional value.”
With the shifting market, however, strong leadership is critical for navigating the changes within the industry. No matter what size the business may be, an effective leader can guide the agency toward success, profitability, and higher employee morale.
“Rates are increasing, carrier and agency appointment qualifications are tightening and carriers are requiring minimum performance standards. You will see a real need to have someone leading your organization,” Barrett said.
1. Leadership requires effort. Being in a leadership role does not necessarily make someone a leader. Leadership is earned. Where management may control and direct people, leadership requires motivation and coaching. Leaders must have a clear understanding of the goals for the future of the agency, but also knowing how the agency can achieve them. They also must develop plans and budgets that follow a relatable sales process, creating a road map for their agency for guidance. At the same time, however, the leadership role is not autonomous. Good leaders need to seek the skills, knowledge, effort and resources needed to accomplish the agency’s goals.
2. Leadership requires followers. Leadership cannot be an assumed role; rather, it is earned through proper selection of key positions in the agency. While criteria exist for determining competent CSRs, these criteria do not necessarily match the traits and characteristics of top producers in the industry. Strong leaders need to know how to choose the best personnel for their agency, orchestrating the mission and the process. If there is a level of mutual respect between employees and the leadership, they will trust the leader’s decisions. The opposite, however, is also true.
3. Leadership is being a maestro. Understanding how employees’ unique traits contribute to the work environment and job description are important for leaders to coach and motivate their employees. Employees need to fit within the framework of cooperation between leadership and team members. As a maestro, the leader needs to learn and understand individual employees’ unique skills and work habits to encourage productivity, effectively manage conflicts and foster growth and improvement among employees.
4. Leadership demands accountability. Leaders must create benchmarks for employee performance, instilling employees with satisfaction and company loyalty. At the same time, setting annual goals and objectives help employees constantly provide feedback, which creates an environment of accountability for all agency employees and develops a strong, collaborative environment.
5. Leadership creates culture. Leaders focus on total enterprise value. Strong leaders must strive to create an environment where all employees strive to leave the customer or prospect in a better place than where they were found. Establishing a positive customer experience, in turn, leads to a unique and memorable contact with the agency. Agencies benefit from the subsequent loyalty, long-term relationships with customers, cross-sales opportunities, referrals and increased income and equity for the agency.
6. Leadership requires honesty and humility. Openly displaying honesty and integrity when communicating with any member of the team is always important, but especially in leadership roles when your employees — and even friends, neighbors, and community members — are watching you. Leaders must always be open and honest with their team members on all occasions.
7. Leadership means you. Employees, family, friends and the community continually watch you, making it imperative for leaders to develop strong standards that touch every facet of his or her life. The direction, culture, reputation, work ethic and professionalism of the agency begin with the leader’s behavior, and the accomplishments of the business begin with a leader’s personal actions, whether they are at the office or at home. Leaders understand that their actions drive the reputation of their company.
8. Leadership requires conditioning and endurance. Being in a leadership role should not be a burden. It is a privilege. Although being a leader comes with an incredible amount of responsibilities, effective leaders understand that they set the pace for the rest of the agency. In order to expect strong earnings, productivity, long work hours and company loyalty, strong leaders lead by example. Being mindful of the work ethic that you promote to your team, as they often mirror the acts of the leader, can impact the way that they treat clients and prospects, but also other team members.
9. Leadership is power. Leadership is more than sheer force. It is influential, and leaders must persuade people to act toward their goals.
10. Leadership is the most reliable predictor. Hay Group reports that there are 75 key components to employee satisfaction, and the most important is communicating three areas to the team: understanding the overall business strategy, helping employees understand how they can contribute and sharing information about progress. For the success of the company and team satisfaction, trust and confidence in leadership is key.