Leading In Times of Uncertainty

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are experiencing times of tremendous change. It is a time requiring us to think differently about how we lead others for the betterment of a healthier whole. Great leaders know that managing uncertainty is a matter of putting themselves in the shoes of their employees and delivering the compassionate leadership they expect.  People don’t want good intentions from their leaders during times of uncertainty; they want their leaders to be not only strong, confident and decisive, but transparent and vulnerable enough in their leadership role to express a sense of genuine care and concern.

Leaders that are focused more on what a particular moment in time means to them have the tendency to unknowingly fuel tension with their employees instead of finding ways to engage them.  They miss opportunities to use moments of uncertainty and change as critical experiences to propel learning and development.     A leader’s role is to neutralize the uncertainty by communicating often and providing their employees with unique perspectives and knowledge. Employee engagement thrives when they are empowered with as much direction, certainty and involvement as possible—as this shows that you value and respect them.

Written by Misty Resendez, Phd
​misty@invigoratehr.com

As uncertain times are before us, here are five factors you should consider in order to keep your employees engaged and to assure you never lose the trust, loyalty and support you need from them:

     1. Be Honest and Consistent

When someone asks you a question, give them an honest answer. Don’t dance around the issues. Have your employees’ backs and make them feel safe.

     2. Meet Often and Evaluate Mindset

Minimize distractions by having formal meetings with your department and sharing any insights you may have.  These types of meetings not only provide status reports that channel out of your own senior staff meetings, but also allow opportunity to genuinely engage with your employees.

      3. Listen and Pay Close Attention

Listen and pay close attention to everything that is taking place—not just in your department. Take your notes to the next staff meeting and compare them with those of your colleagues. Allow the collective knowledge that comes from all departments and leaders to provide you with greater insights that can help you anticipate the unexpected and best prepare you to handle tension from employees.

      4. Create and Share Key Learning Moments

This takes a tremendous amount of commitment and focus – but it’s a powerful way to keep your employees engaged and believing in you. Beyond formal meetings, quick impromptu huddle sessions where you can share key learning moments help you create a culture around the uncertainty that is focused on promoting the positive impact that can be gained from any situation.  It also allows you to further gauge the maturity of your employees and how much uncertainty they are capable of handling. Be intentional about collaboration, making sure you give employees the room to ask questions and extract key learning moments that stimulate engagement.

       5. Reveal Your Leadership Presence

Our composure, how you react to the negative hallway dialogue, how you handle the politics and the effects of the uncertainty – all will reveal your true leadership style and approach. Each is an opportunity to unleash your impression as a leader.  Always be present and be compassionate, yet decisive – and never stop engaging with your employees, whom more often than not experience the uncertainty through a different lens and therefore have opinions that may not always be in alignment with yours.
In the end, you cannot go at leadership alone. It’s all about people, how you treat them, and show your genuine compassion and commitment to their careers, their development and discovering their full potential.  When you have executive presence, you can slow down and see and seize opportunities more clearly. You are able to make smarter decisions and can begin to anticipate the needs of your employees more clearly.  When this happens, employee engagement becomes second nature regardless of workplace circumstances.

Times of uncertainty will always reveal your maturity as a leader. Therefore, see it as an opportunity to advance your leadership by serving others, rather than as a setback to your own agenda and career expectations. Keeping employees engaged and focused when there is uncertainty all around them can seem like a daunting challenge – but less so for the forthright leader who listens attentively to their employees’ needs, makes themselves available and shares with them often, and conveys to them a consistent and confident executive presence.