ELEPHANT ALERT!
Different leadership styles are necessary for different times. When your team is ahead in the game, the tone, approach, and techniques necessary to ensure victory are different than when you’re behind.
It’s stunning to observe some bosses blow it.
Here’s the elephant in the office: As stress increases, have you witnessed some bosses who move to a default setting of “command and control”? They make decisions behind closed doors; they assume they know the motivations of others; and they resort to the illogical “I’m-going-to-make-you-feel-bad-so-you-can-start-to-do-good” method of execution.
Consequently, the tough times are exacerbated as these bosses make bad results worse.
STOMP THE ELEPHANT
When times are tough decisive leadership action is a must. Regardless of the style that is needed, there are some elements of quality leadership that are consistent no matter what the situation.
- Fear is a motivator, but only for short bursts. Now more than ever, people are starving for confidence. A focus on what is working creates this needed element.
- Cultures of inclusion always out-perform cultures of exclusion. You might not always be able to include people’s ideas in WHAT needs to be done, but when you exclude them from HOW they need to get things done, you’re guaranteeing you’ll see bigger problems.
- Success is relative. Leaders who are beating their teams up for not delivering the same results they achieved under different market conditions are sowing the seeds of cancer within their team. The market is different, so success is different. Create a “we will persevere” mentality by celebrating the successes of today.
Are you adapting how you lead? And are you remaining consistent in the important ways that will allow your team to win?
Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?
