Is your team flying in formation, or heading in unknown directions? Today’s rapidly changing business environment creates high expectations on leaders and teams and any form of misalignment can be disastrous. In military exercises for example, where “live ammunition fire” is used, there is no margin for error as lives could be lost. If you establish yourself as a leader in tune with changes that are taking place, by creating a common team purpose and knowing what drives team members, you will take your team performance to new heights.
“Be the change you want to see” Gandhi
Rules for Successful Leadership
In my blog “12 Rules of Courage”, I outline that we need more courage in our leaders today than ever before. Courageous leaders are ultimately the ones who can lead through this landscape & uncertainty with adaptability and resilience as well as motivating their people and teams around a shared purpose: they inspire their customers and bring their companies to new levels of success. The best companies have found the courage to make bold moves that transform their businesses. In turn they have stayed courageous especially in the face of complicated circumstances. Leading with courage through today’s distorted playing field creates sustainable value & outcomes across all areas of an organisation.
Make your Team more adaptable
An article by Nick Deligiannis MD Hays “Seven Ways to make your Team more adaptable to Change” outlined how the world of work has undergone significant change. Teams that worked closely together in one physical location now operate remotely and are learning how to adapt to the changing needs of their customers while doing so. Clearly, we are in a moment of unprecedented and rapid transformation, which calls for teams that can pivot quickly. Today, major change can literally occur in the space of a few hours, which means your team must be open, collaborative and ready to alter plans and modify processes at short notice. Today’s short-term uncertainty hasn’t altered the longer-term reality that our world of work is in constant flux thanks to disruptive technology, new emerging trends, restructures and industry shifts. We know that change is inevitable, which means that the benefits of creating an adaptive team will last well beyond the months ahead. Here’s how to encourage adaptability in your team:
· Model adaptability
· Have a clear common objective
· Encourage diversity of thought
· Embrace innovation
· Collaborate
· Experiment
· Encourage up-skilling
Even the most well planned events can go wrong and sometimes they evolve into a crisis. Being able to handle these less-than-perfect situations and adapt your approach with a team is what the best leaders do. You need to have a Plan B and be able to quickly devise a creative Plan C (or D, or E…) if the situation requires it. Gather input from your team to get other perspectives and collaborate on a creative solution for effective team leadership.
Leadership isn’t easy and sometimes we need help. I am always here.
Get in touch today to learn more about how to build leadership skills for team management and set yourself up for success!
Stay Kind. Stay Courageous.
Sonia x
