It’s stating the obvious that many of us are in a significant state of uncertainty, upheaval … and even crisis. Things change from day-to-day (or hour-to-hour), there are more questions then answers and the future is anything but clear.
Considering recent history, it’s certainly not the first time, nor will it be the last (…consider 2008 downturn, Great Depression, World Wars…). With ambiguity swirling and the inherent dynamics of a crisis, it’s impossible for leaders to have absolute answers on “the right solution.” However, in absence of clarity on “the what,” there’s pressing urgency on “the how” i.e. what followers need from their leaders.
With this in mind I was inspired by a recent statement by Jim Clifton, Chairman & CEO of Gallup, as he reflected on some of their most significant research (Gallup is world leader in research & analytics):
“The world’s 7 billion citizens demand that leadership and institutions lead our nations and the world with (1) compassion, (2) stability, (3) trust, and (4) hope and inspiration for the future, according to our biggest global study of what followers want.”
While these powerful insights are certainly true of those mentioned in the statement (leaders of nations and the world), I’d like to resist the potential temptation to criticize or deflect this mandate only to the “the higher ups,” but rather challenge ourselves to think of our role as leaders – of companies, of teams, of families, of children, of friends…
What does it look like for you to:
- …lead with compassion – letting others feel authentic empathy and that you’re there to help through word and action?
- …lead with stability – despite the noise, providing calm and a steady hand within the storm?
- …lead with trust – inspiring confidence that you are fighting for them, have their best interest in mind and will be truthful?
- …lead with hope and inspiration for the future – encouraging, resisting negativity & passivity, pointing out the good wherever it is, and projecting unwavering faith that there is a brighter future ahead?
…as I recently did for an executive team…I challenge you to except the challenge, grab a pencil & paper, and think about what each one of these concretely looks like for your various leadership roles. You’ll be surprised what comes to mind…and remember, it’s not about your image or a nice-to-have PR-tactic…it’s “what your followers want!”
Picture: www.pexels.com
Thanks Johannes, for your thoughts. Yes, what the world needs right now is leadership. Besides compassion, stability, trust, hope and inspiration, what we are terribly lacking is “alignment”, having a common cross-country or even global approach to the pandemic The fragmentation of measures, combined with finger pointing we are seeing, is counter-productive. Time for leadership that embraces best practice, tries to learn from past experience and coordinate and align with others.