HOW TO THRIVE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

We are living in challenging and uncertain times. Even our best and brightest leaders will be challenged throughout this journey of instability, global virus and economic meltdown. 

But there is an upside amongst the chaos. The opportunity to step up and develop even greater, deeper leadership capabilities that will take you beyond the current crisis.      

Here are some tips to help you thrive and embrace the challenges to create a sustainable, calm and focused team.   

Embrace Uncertainty. Maintaining a sense of calm and control in the face of uncertainty is never easy. Leadership requires courage, agility and the ability to continuously predict what lies ahead.  The loss of control will affect many leaders, as decision making becomes increasingly difficult in light of the unknowns which continue to evolve and multiply.

Being consumed by the unknowns will only paralyse your decision making.

Set short term plans and goals. Review your plans weekly and adjust them regularly to adapt to the changing trends, challenges and threats along the journey to a more successful and sustainable business.         

Information is gold. Continually obtain the best quality data available to predict what lies ahead and make informed short term and long term decisions. Don’t expect or wait for perfection. In an unstable world, flawless solutions and perfect answers don’t exist.

Risk-taking is a useful and an under rated skill. Strong leadership requires the courage to make mistakes and take calculated risks delivered with confidence.    

 "More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It will steal you blind." Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Find Stability Amongst the Turbulence. Whilst you may feel like the entire world is unstable, in crisis and moving from one unpredictable scenario to another, take time to gravitate towards the stability around you.

Find the stable things in your work and personal life to provide you with an anchor. For instance, your company’s purpose and values will remain authentic and unchanged. Surround yourself with people you can trust and find perspective. Your strong values will serve you well. Consider your values as your reputable decision making bedrock.   In times of crisis, it’s not always possible to explore all the options available to us, our team or business, but core values, vision, goals and purpose will guide you towards clear decisions and a sense of comfort in turbulent times.        

Valuable Learning in Every Crisis. Every situation holds positives and negatives, threats and opportunities. Rather than magnify the crisis, let’s magnify the learning, the possibilities and the opportunities that lie ahead.  

Embrace the unknown with energy. It will help you think more clearly and be more resilient. Shifting your focus to agility and innovation instead of control and comfort zone, will help you adapt a more fluid approach to conquering evolving changes.         

Involve your entire team. Gain valuable feedback, thoughts, ideas and solutions.  Continuous innovation and collaboration will strengthen your ability to meet the changing needs in the market and reduce stress and concern created by turbulent times. 

"Necessity is the mother of invention." When faced with difficult situations, we are more likely to create innovative solutions, if we can learn to live with uncertainty, find a stable footing in the middle of the chaos, and accept life's paradoxes.

Be transparent and share what you are thinking.  Life at the top as a leader need not be lonely if you include the people around you in positive, influential discussions. 

Let’s not wait for the New Year to make a difference.  The difference lies in the way we approach life’s insecurities, our resilience and the positive influence we have on the people around us.