There will frequently be uncertainty on the path toward executing the vision you have established. The most effective leader is one who can consistently communicate with clarity in both stable and uncertain times. This article continues our Leadership Development Series, focusing on the Top Five Tricks for Keeping Clarity.
While implementing your vision, there will be times when momentum is behind you and the confidence of your subordinates is solidly in place. But there will also be occasions when uncertainties will seemingly derail your efforts. If your communication during these moments is inconsistent with what you say in times of certainty, your vision will become clouded and those you are leading will begin to doubt your abilities and lose faith in your effort.
In the days immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the United States experienced great levels of uncertainty. Many wondered just how secure national security truly was. Questions abounded on how badly the economy would suffer. And doubts of whether New York City could fully recover from the aftermath were not uncommon. But at the center of this tragedy was a consistency of leadership that pushed the city, and the nation, through it all.
While it is unlikely that your role as a leader will ever include a series of events as tumultuous as 9/11, it is certain that your organization will experience uncertainty of varying degrees. To fully realize your vision, regardless of how certain or uncertain everything may be, your communication must have exceptional, consistent clarity.
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today," said former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR's unprecedented three terms as president included the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and World War II. Despite these overwhelming circumstances, the message Roosevelt consistently offered was one that did not get caught up in the details of the current day, which was filled with doubts, fears and uncertainty.
Instead, he always focused on communicating about working for a new and better tomorrow. With this mindset, he created long-lasting social reforms, commanded a war victory and ushered in a new era of world peace.
Remembering the goals you set in place to achieve your vision, as well as what set your vision in motion in the first place, will provide you a true north no matter what set of circumstances fall into your path. Remind your subordinates of these values regularly through different avenues of communication, and never abandon them. "There are many qualities that make a great leader. But having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader," former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani explains.
When dealing with uncertainty, it is important to remain positive, but also to avoid wearing the proverbial rose-colored glasses by pretending things are not as bad as they seem. Acknowledge the challenges that have arisen and the difficulties that will be experienced in trying to overcome them. At the same time, keep your team focused on getting to the end of the tunnel despite how dark the current stretch might be. Be real with the issues, but not pessimistic about them—engineer your train into the light with constant encouragement.
In his book Leadership, Giuliani writes, "Part of leadership is harnessing your passions in a way that serves your goals—my father's advice: stay calm." Any time uncertainty roams amid the minds of your subordinates, a series of emotions is sure to pour out, which can often lead to negative results.
While you should be sensitive to your team's concerns, do not let them overwhelm the matter. Set the example of keeping everything in check. Likewise, when things are going well, do not get caught up in the success moment; instead, keep yourself and your subordinates grounded and focused on the vision.
While it is important to keep emotions in check, people look up to a leader who reacts like any human would - not one who seems detached from them. Giuliani follows up his previous thought with the following statement: "Another part of leadership is retaining your humanity. The anger I felt, and continue to feel, about the attacks on the World Trade Center is healthy. The challenge was to put it to work in ways that would make me a stronger, better leader."
Communicating your feelings on circumstances rather than simply acting on them is important. Share your thoughts on matters, in both good times and bad, and do it face to face with the people you are leading. This allows a quality of interaction that other methods do not.
Meetings are rarely looked upon favorably by employees and managers alike, as most consider them to be an unproductive and useless part of their week. But when managed well, a meeting can become one of the most reliable and efficient tools you have to lead your team to achieve its goals.
A good leader concentrates on individual strengths and utilizing them to the fullest extent possible. But great leaders also focus on the weaknesses and find ways to support those shortcomings toward even more success.
Some leaders within your organization will have great pattern recognition, wisdom, trend anticipation, personnel insight and confidence, while others do not. Those who display these attributes will have the kind of intuition on which you should rely.
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