Calling All Leaders: It's Time to Be Courageous
I can’t remember a time when our collective response as leaders has been so essential. We are navigating rapid change with many unknowns as we look at the weeks and months ahead. What are the essential courageous skills we need to practice during times like this? If there is one thing I have learned after studying leadership for the past two years, is that modeling the behaviours we want to see in others is essential. So what can that look like in times like these?
Use the Three C’s
Be Calm:
When we show up with fear or anxiety, that becomes contagious and spreads faster than COVID-19. The opportunity for all of us is to model calm, collected leadership starts with remembering to breathe. This will literally calm your nervous system, keep cortisol in check, and allow your prefrontal cortex to open up and think at its highest level. This is the part of the brain where creativity, problem-solving and perspective taking resides. This is the brain we want access to in leadership, and taking a PAUSE followed by BREATH is the best way to access our highest functioning brain power. Be the calm presence you want to see in others. I have been practicing this with my team and clients all day today and my breath has been the simple yet most powerful tool at my disposal.
Be Creative:
When your prefrontal cortex is lit up with your calm breathing, you literally have the ability to see new solutions, access creative ideas and imagine new possibilities. Creating space for you and your team to come together and get creative about ways of working, serving clients, delivering on products in new and different ways over the near future is exactly what leadership looks like. After exercising this morning (the best way to light up my prefrontal cortex), I was able to generate a list of ideas for new programs I can deliver online and a reminder that coaching is incredibly effective over the phone or Zoom. We don’t need to stay static in our delivery, we just need to be creative and responsive to new conditions. Be the creative energy for your team in the days and weeks ahead.
Be Clear:
If there is one quote from Dare to Lead that continues to resonate it is this: “Clear is Kind. Unclear is Unkind” (Brené Brown). This is also a time to be clear about what you know, and what you don’t know. Be clear about what is expected from people and what boundaries are in place. For example if working remotely is implemented, then what are your expectations for people with deliverables, communication and response time. There will undoubtedly be many unknowns in the days and weeks ahead and wherever possible, providing clear communication can ( over and over again) will help your team stay calm, connected and confident in their place within the messiness of uncertainty.
If the task of leadership begins to feel overwhelming over the weeks ahead, you can circle back to these three simple reminders of what courageous leadership actually looks like. I will be with you in the practice, and I look forward to hearing your stories of brave leadership!
Diane Lloyd PCC
CEO and Leadership Coach
