Uncertain Times Require Strong Leadership
I was packing up my things to leave work one evening, when the phone rang. “Hello, “ I answered as I turned off my office light.
“Anne, this is the VP. Can you come to my office?” He and I rarely spoke, as if he didn’t care about Human Resources. Or maybe we didn’t speak because he knew I could handle my HR team. Either way, our interactions were limited. “Sure. I’ll be there in a minute,” I replied.
The Director of Finance was still in her office, typing away on her computer. Opening her door, I said “It’s Tuesday at 5pm. The VP wants to see me. Am I getting fired?” The end of the day is the worst time to fire someone.
I walked down the hall to the VP’s office and knocked on his door. “What could he possibly want,” I wondered. A few moments passed before he answered the knock. “Come in and sit down,” he said, curtly. Followed by “We are eliminating your position. Here’s your severance package to review. Your last day will be August 7.” His voice lacked all emotion.
He asked if I had any questions. You just gave me the worst news of my life and you expect me to have questions? “No, I don’t have any questions,” I said meekly as I took the papers he held out for me and left his office. I went back to my office, collected my things, and stopped by the Director of Finance’s office again and said “Yep, I got fired. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I met a friend for drinks at a bar down the street. It was dark and loud and we hid in the corner on our barstools and drank our beers. I didn’t stay long, all of my energy had been sapped. I wanted to get home and sit on the couch. I kept telling myself that this is one of those times in life that I need to keep my head on my shoulders and get my resume together. I needed to network like crazy. I needed to work on getting a job. I couldn’t show weakness, I needed to be strong. I didn’t have the motivation to do anything, though. I was lost.
My career was my life. My career was my identity. It was all I knew. It was ripped away from me. They told me that it was a business decision. They told me it was a reorganization. To me, it was personal. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. In high school, I was the girl who knew exactly what career path she would take. In college, I declared my major as soon as the university let me. I was dedicated to my career path. Until I was laid off. I’d never felt so uncertain about anything before.
Uncertainty didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t have a schedule to follow. I didn’t have a boss to report to. I didn’t have employees to lead. I was my own employee and my own boss. I spent the first week on my couch in my apartment watching a lot of Netflix. I took long walks through Central Park. I went swimming every morning and had the entire pool to myself to swim and swim and swim. I half-heartedly looked for jobs. I traveled.
I didn’t want to look for jobs in NYC anymore. I didn’t want to live in NYC anymore. I needed adventure. My high school sweetheart lived in Montana and I thought “Montana has adventure.” I sent him a text and asked him what he was up to. He replied “not much. Come visit.” So I visited Montana. And decided to move there. The uncertainty started to fade and I saw a clearer path to get back on track with my life and my career. While I was on this journey, I felt anxious, but I kept on and looked for a new path, and I’m glad I was along for the ride.
Just as in the rest of my life, I’ve been through uncertain times as a leader. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I needed to forge ahead and stay strong for my team. They came to me with their fears about what lay ahead for the business and their jobs and I wanted to give them answers and help them in the best way possible.
Uncertainty
Leaders face uncertainty. They face uncertainty about market conditions, staffing, the future, or where the company is headed. Building leadership skills can help leaders face those moments of uncertainty and lead their teams to success.
Bring Vision, Mission, and Values to life at work
Develop relationships with close advisors
Develop clear, open communication plans
Staff Meetings with a clear agenda
1:1s with your team
Town Hall meetings to share information to the entire staff
Prepare contingency plans and communicate them
Use data and analytics to make decisions
Take a step back and act with care and thought. Resist the temptation to act impulsively.
Remain flexible as new information emerges, as you may need to pivot
Empathy and resilience are crucial during times of uncertainty
Actively listen to your employees
Take a moment to clarify your thoughts before reacting
Answer with clarity, conviction, and compassion
Encourage a growth mindset with teams and employees to face challenges
Recognize effort and results
Create psychological safety within your teams
Allow your employees to ask questions, admit mistakes, and express ideas without fear of retribution
Set achievable, actionable goals
Foster an environment filled with creativity and curiosity
Provide forward-focused feedback
When faced with a challenge or backslide, focus on fixing the problem instead of placing blame.
With clear communication plans, ways to encourage growth and conversation, and a willingness to go the extra mile for their teams, leaders can weather any uncertainty.
