Written by: Christopher H. McKinney Sr., Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
High gas prices. Inflation. War in Ukraine. Conflict in the Middle East. Democrats v. Republicans. Roe v. Wade was overturned. Not enough people in the workforce. Climate change. Global pandemic. Is China going to invade Taiwan? Is Monkey Pox the next pandemic?
It seems that everywhere we look, there is uncertainty. Somedays, it can be hard to know which way is up. As leaders, we muster the courage to corral our personal thoughts and find a measure of stability so that we can proceed with our day. But how do we then translate our individual efforts into the workplace? How do we not just survive during uncertainty, but how do we thrive? Is it even possible to thrive, or are we destined for a white-knuckle experience?
I submit that we do not have to resign ourselves to a "white knuckle" experience. I believe that we can intentionally create stability by controlling the “controllables,” which will position us to thrive amid uncertainty.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
A significant component of thriving in uncertainty is ensuring we communicate clearly and often, with a heavy emphasis on often. As leaders, people are looking to us to provide direction and stability. If we are silent, we further perpetuate and add to the uncertainty that can potentially undermine our endeavors. In the CEOWorld Magazine article “Maintaining Stability in Uncertain Times: 4 Strategies to Keep Your Company Aligned,” Coco Brown stated, “When things feel uncertain, leave nothing to question. There is no such thing as communicating too much – your team needs to hear from their leaders.”
State the obvious: Talk about the uncertainty. Walking around pretending there is no elephant in the room does not make the elephant go away. This is the first major step in stabilizing.
Acknowledge things are uncertain: We must let our people know we see what is happening. We must let them know the uncertainty is impacting us as well.
Tell them how “it” makes us feel: Our vulnerability creates room for our people to have the courage to be vulnerable. Telling them how we feel creates a deeper sense of connection between us and thereby also establishes a measure of stability.
Ask them how it makes them feel: Give them space to be vulnerable. Provide a safe space to have honest and transparent conversations. This safe space will intentionally create a measure of stability. Letting them get things off their chest releases pressure and creates opportunities for critical thinking and creative ideas. Also, we create opportunities for hope by allowing them to be honest about how they feel. Getting the negative thoughts out can free them to look for answers.
Tell them what you appreciate about them: Encouragement from the leader is of the utmost importance during times of uncertainty. In great detail, we should tell them how they add value, and if you are being sincere, they will not tire of hearing this. Everyone wants to know they are appreciated. Everyone wants to know that they matter. Tell them they matter. What we appreciate, appreciates.
Avoid the Superman/Superwoman Complex
Admit that you do not have all the answers: It is okay for the leader to show humility to let our people know that we do not have all the answers because the truth is we do not. By doing so, we will gain some credibility through our humility.
Tell your people you do not expect them to have all the answers: This will remove tremendous stress from our high performers working hard to keep things moving. They may not say it verbally, but many of our high performers also struggle with the Superman/Superwoman Complex. Let them know that it is okay that they do not know what to do.
Tell them you will get through it together: We do not have all the answers, and they do not have all the answers, but through collaboration and partnership, we can develop some company-specific solutions to help us stabilize and thrive. The joint effort brings more buy-in and commitment to the plan.
Remind Them of Their History & Lineage
By remembering who we are as a company and where we came from, we can increase the measure of hope we created by communicating regularly. It is much the same as recounting a family history and how they fought through struggles as immigrants or enslaved people to survive and create a pathway forward that led to “better” for their posterity. When we review these stories, a swell of resilience emerges in us.
Culture – Remind our people who we are at our core. Mission statements and Core Values commonly use words such as resilient, innovative, and adaptive. In uncertain times it is imperative to revisit these documents. Again, in her article for CEOWorld Magazine, Coco Brown provides some great insight. She says, “There’s a lot of hard choices that need to be made in times of uncertainty. Uncomfortable choices. Focusing on what lies within your control, like supporting a healthy culture, is more critical than ever.” I have observed this ring true in combat situations, business, and local government. When we remind people of who we are and what we stand for, something rises within us that provides the fortitude to stabilize and thrive.
Remind the team of past challenges: Hopefully, we have an archive of company history that chronicles your journey. If so, this will have details of the meager start in the garage to the hellacious challenges you faced just as you started gaining traction to the COVID Pandemic. By intentionally taking our people back through history and showing them not just the previously encountered challenges but how our predecessors overcame them, they will see that since you have prevailed in the past, they too can prevail now.
Remind them of the “Controllables (their strengths & talents): None of us have any control over the uncertainty running through our world, but we have control over ourselves. We must remind our people of their specific strengths and talents. Retell how their strengths and talents help to initiate a successful product launch. Or how their strengths and skills help to land a major client. Or how their strengths and talents help to expand company market share. Keep them focused in their strength zone and watch the magic happen.
Be a Dealer of Hope
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “A leader is a dealer of hope.” Are we dealing out hope intentionally? Are we deliberately laying the foundation for a better tomorrow with our words regularly? We as leaders must first ensure that we are getting our tank of hope replenished routinely, as we cannot pour from an empty vessel. But then, we must purposefully provide our people hope for a better tomorrow. We must infuse them with hope daily to combat the corrosiveness of despair, cynicism, and pessimism. In this endeavor, we must be diligent and persistent.
"This" too shall pass; whatever "this" is (COVID, inflation, gas prices, etc.), it WILL pass. We must not allow ourselves nor our people to get stuck. In the book “Triumphant Transitions” co-author Henry Hayes Jr. states his grandmother used to say, “Give 'time' time, baby. It’ll change.”
Look for the opportunity in the crisis. If we can maintain a level of hope and stay out of despair and cynicism, we can create the space to find an opportunity. Zoom, Google Meets, and Microsoft Teams definitely found an opportunity during the crisis called the COVID Pandemic. One year prior, most companies shunned telework. Now, look at where we are and how much the companies mentioned above have benefited. Help staff to fix their minds on solutions and not problems. In the article Focus on Stability During the Uncertainty That Coronavirus Brings for Entrepreneur Magazine David Meltzer wrote, “With so much change occurring, there'll be countless opportunities for those with the right mindset to take advantage.” We must ensure our people intentionally have the right mindset, a mindset of opportunity and innovation.
Find something positive to focus on: It could be something as simple as a company softball game or going to support a community outreach event, or gathering school supplies to help teachers in a local school. Providing something positive reinforces hope.
I hope this added value to you. If you are sitting there saying Chris, that sounds well and good, but I don’t have time to do all the things you mention, I get it. As a leader, I understand you have a lot on your plate. My company 10X Leadership Consulting is poised to come alongside you to assist. I invite you to schedule a free consultation so we can explore the possibilities. Worst case scenario, I will offer you my best advice at no cost.
Click HERE to book a free consultation.
Also, if you are looking for a dynamic speaker for your event, click HERE for a free consultation. I have spoken to thousands and inspired numerous audience types, from students to the military to senior executives to the workforce.
I wish you well in all your future endeavors!
Christopher H. McKinney Sr., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
"Chris is a person on a mission to help as many people as possible reach their full potential. His mindset is for his life to be at its fullest, others must release their gift(s) into the world. By releasing their gift(s), the world (his world) is made more complete.
Chris is a person on a mission to help as many people as possible reach their full potential. His mindset is for his life to be at its fullest, others must release their gift(s) into the world. By releasing their gift(s), the world (his world) is made more complete.
He strives to live his life by two mantras. “… leadership is relentless!” and “When you add value, you become invaluable.” Both were key beacons that helped him navigate and have highly successful careers in two different industries. Success for Chris is seeing people around him grow, evolve, and become effective when they gain a seat at the table.
Chris is also a co-author of the successful book “Triumphant Transitions”."
