Leading Through VUCA Times - Loeb Leadership
It is precisely times like these (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) when leaders must recognize how others are looking to them for guidance. Followers want some sense of stability and emotional reassurance. If you are responsible for leading others, here are five things to keep in mind as you lead through the coronavirus.
1. Maintain composure. Recognize your amygdala in your brain must be getting hijacked. When we perceive a threat, the amygdala sounds an alarm, releasing chemicals into our body. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol enter our system, preparing us to fight, flight or freeze. When this deeply instinctive function takes over, it is often referred to as what Daniel Goleman described in his book, Emotional Intelligence as the “amygdala hijack.” Some of us will notice immediate reactions like an increased heart rate, quicker breathing or sweaty palms. We are experiencing a prehistoric set of physiological responses. These sensations are designed to move us to action.
Sticking one’s head in the sand, will not produce great results. Instead, notice what is happening, take a deep breath (as opposed to many shallow breaths) and find some sort of practical “to do” or strategy to execute upon that will help you feel as though you have some control and can remain productive.
2. Re-visit your priorities. Some of us like to remain on track no matter what interrupts our day, however, with roller coaster change surrounding us and peoples’ emotions reacting to those constant changes, we as leaders, must place managing our emotions as a priority; as well as noticing others’ emotions and being kind and supportive. Those around us are also feeling similar emotions, and as leaders, we must notice, acknowledge and lean into addressing our employees’ fears and concerns. Remember, your team is always watching you, and if you are showing panic, they will absorb that emotion and increase panicking too. Emotions are contagious. Model steady calm behavior as demonstrated by Captain Gennaro Arma of the Princess Diamond cruise ship. His calm confident messaging during the coronavirus outbreak on his ship kept his passengers engaged and feeling supported. Captain Arma’s words were delivered in a way to minimize anxiety and maximize the human element he believes in. For example, “I am confident that remaining united as a family, we will successfully complete this journey together. The world is watching us. This is an additional reason for all of us to show our strength”.
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Now is when you need to give folks time to talk about their anxieties and concerns. Tell them whatever you can to update them on what is happening at the organization. It’s not possible to over communicate. Your team needs to hear from you and know that you are there to support them. As one of the passengers on the Princess Diamond said about Captain Arma, “One reason why a panic has not occurred among passengers is the captain’s leadership. Regular announcements of information, answering passengers’ requests by consulting quarantine officers, walking on the deck, apologizing for delayed medicine distribution.
4. Accomplish at least one thing each day that is aligned with your identified top three priorities. And congratulate yourself when you do. Whether working remotely or within our offices, it is easily to get distracted and continuously check the news online or on television. Too much distressing news can add to our anxiety. Push yourself to detach from the news and accomplish tasks that align with your priorities for the day. Doing this puts you back in control. Having that sense of control, leads to being more productive with a result of increased self-esteem. We need to continue to feel as though we are “getting meaningful things done.”
5. Practice self-care. This is more important than ever! Take some time in your day to do something good for your head, heart and soul. Call a friend to see how they are doing, take a walk outside and notice nature, exercise, meditate, nap, try heart focused breathing (breathing slowly for 5 seconds in and out with a focus on your heart) and of course, a healthy meal or snack is always good. Captain Arma’s final message to his crew is yet another excellent example. He said, "Stay strong, look after yourselves. We will finish as we started: together. What a wonderful message for us all to hear today.