Free Business Chronicle

It seems that people’s true colours can come out in the time of need. When things get bad, you tend to see who is willing to show up as a leader and who doesn’t. COVID-19 has been a world-changing problem, and we are in need of true leaders at a time like this. Unfortunately, we can’t wait for the governments to make their decisions in some cases and it becomes a personal responsibility that leaders need to take on and be the best they can be.

Leaders need to be able to lead their business and the teams while they are sending out what they need to for the community. Now is the best time for leaders developing leadership skills in standing up for their team and navigating through these dire times.

Here are some ways that leaders can show up in the most difficult of times:

Being honest

It seems nowadays that the world is in short supply of good old honesty. Social media platforms have not helped in the matter either as they have enabled people to broadcast and spread misinformation around, making people think they are the experts within that field when they are not. These mass media stories are a dynamic that adds to people’s vulnerability and panic.

Businesses need a leader to step up and communicate from one place, and that is the place of truth. If your business is experiencing struggles, you need to be informed of the reality and work to address it.

Leading From Empathy

Great leaders will put their focus on those people who are dependant on them. Leaders will assess the needs of those around them and consider their feelings. While tough decisions will always need to be made when in a time of crisis, you will then look for a leader who can view things from the lens of empathy. Coming from a place of empathy means you will be able to communicate effectively. When people are asking you questions then you can be able to fear, the compassion will help you to soften and connect with them instead of feeling defensive that you don’t have better solutions at the time.

They Ask For Help

Society has made a hero archetype­ that shows an iron-willed person sitting in the top position, which is the one making decisions, and they can do it without help. This statement is far from the truth. Great leader knows that they will need support, help and guidance at some stage. Leaders also know that they need plenty of input and advice so they can navigate during the harder times. Good leaders need to be able to ask their team for help during a crisis. A business or company is a group of people who are working towards a shared goal together. When something like the COVID19 virus hits hard, you can ask the team to make sacrifices for the overall whole.  Ask them for ideas to help move the company and the organisation forward.

Taking Ownership

While a weak leader will blame and hide when things start flowing out of control, a good leader will be able to face the problem and to make difficult decisions. As you’ll find from leaders who have gone through executive management coaching, leaders mustn’t seek someone else out to solve the problem. Leaders need to be able to take full responsibility. Ownership does not mean that you will always have the answers nor that you are invincible. Taking ownership means that you are willing to fight on during a crisis and ready to keep the fight up no matter what. You need to accept the severity of the crisis and be able to make decisions.

While a weak leader will blame and hide when things start flowing out of control, a good leader will be able to face the problem and to make difficult decisions. As you’ll find from leaders who have gone through executive management coaching, leaders mustn’t seek someone else out to solve the problem. Leaders need to be able to take full responsibility. Ownership does not mean that you will always have the answers nor that you are invincible. Taking ownership means that you are willing to fight on during a crisis and ready to keep the fight up no matter what. You need to accept the severity of the crisis and be able to make decisions.