Managing uncertainty, as a leader

The context of this article is the COVID-19 pandemic. The article aims to give tools to manage uncertainty, as a leader.

The uncertainty is very real. Uncertainty has become a daily occurrence. The situation is so volatile that changes are unpredictable. We don’t know what will happen, it creates ambiguity. It is becoming very complex to manage uncertainty, as a leader today: how to manage yourself, manage others and manage your affairs?

This article gives you simple tips for dealing with uncertainty as a leader.

Survival mode is engaged

The current context is a beautiful illustration of the VICA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world in which we live.

We were already living in a VICA world before this pandemic, just it was on a more “manageable” level.

Some time ago, your uncertainty was maybe 5 out of 10 or less (< 5/10)…

• Maybe you needed to clarify goals for yourself, for your team.
• Maybe you were wondering about the development of your business, about how to do things differently.
• You may have felt that you needed to improve the impact of your leadership around you, so that it would be more positive.

At the moment your uncertainty could be at 15/10?

• Who in my team/entourage is sick or potentially ill?
• Should I close the activity, or not?
• How are we going to get through this crisis at the economic level?
• How are we going to recover from this event, both from a human and financial point of view?

The survival mode is present. Survival mode brings us back to our instincts, our fears.

Courage is not the absence of fear.

Courage is fear. It is fear that transforms itself to make us move forward.

Don’t let fear get in the way! You can choose to embrace your fears and choose your actions. This is called emotional agility. (If you want to read about it, I recommend Susan David’s book – Emotional Agilty.)

 

In a chaotic context, how do you manage yourself – manage others and manage your affairs?

It’s time to take your dolls* in your hands, to hold them, to love them and to move forward. Let’s see how to do it.

*The “Russian dolls” are a metaphor that I use almost daily.

Doll #1 represents how you, as a leader, take care of yourself. How you connect with yourself. How to develop your skills. How you react under pressure, in uncertainty.

Doll #2 represents the relationships you build, that you create. Your environment. What surrounds you. To manage uncertainty, we have to be together.

Doll #3 represents the material, tangible part. The results.

These dolls are interconnected. They need each other. Your being, your actions towards others and your environment and your business knowledge are necessary to succeed.

 

 

The most appropriate way today, in a world of VICA, chaos, uncertainty, is to go from doll #1 to doll #3. That is:

1. Connecting with myself to increase my level of awareness towards myself and my actions.
2. Build satisfying and authentic relationships. Because it is together that we can do great things.
3. And you know it, if you are well surrounded, you will be able to deliver, to solve, to generate revenue. It will be easier to innovate in business and the chances of success through mutual aid are increased tenfold.

If I come back to COVID-19, let’s look at what the Premier of Quebec is doing right now:

1. You can feel his authenticity, he accepts to adjust, he can change his mind, he doesn’t seem panicked. He adapted his leadership style to the crisis: the directive leadership style. This is the appropriate leadership style in this situation. People need to be reassured, and if he were to seek consensus he would create more panic than anything else. At the same time, he doesn’t change his mind three times a day. He manages himself very well and has adapted very well.
2. He created a communication routine. He is there for others. His team is mobilized. He calls on artists. He innovates. He says he needs others. He makes clear demands. He adapts his messages as needed.
3. The majority of the population follows his directives. Its results have been achieved. Not bad for someone who has 8.485 million people under his responsibility 😉

 

Let’s take a look at how you can learn from this example and manage uncertainty, as a leader.

Doll #1: You

An essential key: when everything is unstable, your role as a leader is to create stability.

You don’t control the context, you don’t control the events.

You control your reactions, your actions, your interactions.

• If you have trouble controlling your impact on others, and yourself.
  • Find someone, urgently, who will listen to your fears, your stress and help you with it. Don’t be a vector of panic. Get help: colleagues, boss, coach, friend, board of directors, therapist, family, whatever. Find someone positive AND in solution mode.
  • Your goal is to connect with yourself, if you don’t have inner stability, how can you reassure those around you? We’re not asking you to play the hero, the saviors or the act-as-if. In fact, it would be worse. It would only add to the pressure… You too need to be reassured.

In short: get help to manage your own anxiety to be able to reassure others.

 

Doll #2: The Others

Expectations of leaders are generally high. In times of uncertainty, they are multiplied tenfold.

Let’s assume that you handled doll #1.

Doll #2 asks you to be present: communicate, communicate, communicate.

• Communicate transparently: you don’t know, say you don’t know. Point.
• Do a communication routine, every day.
• Have a clear and simple message. In the example below, after a very short time, everyone understood what “flattening the curve” meant.
• Stay on the verified facts.

Your goal is to generate a sense of trust.

Others need to feel that you are there, that you are present. That you are also connected to yourself.

If you adjust the course, and reconsider a decision. That’s not a problem.

If you are disorganized, stressed, let messages fly from all sides, at any time. You will not be able to reassure. The impact will be as you are: stressful, panicky, with a generalized lack of focus.

You control your reactions, actions, and interactions.

Here is a proposal for a communication routine:

• Every morning, your managers meet with their teams to collect questions and concerns. They respond to what they know, for the rest, they take notes. (Duration 10 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the team).
• Then, the managers meet to share (duration 30-60 minutes depending on the size of the team):
  • their concerns (taking care of their #1 doll);
  • the team’s concerns (doll #2);
  • Switch to solution mode for business (doll #3).
• Verbal and written communication is made/sent to the relevant people about the status of the situation, answers to questions, etc.

This simple routine will do everyone a world of good. That’s for sure. To you, to others, to your business.

Practical tip: If you have a person who needs more time to share their concerns, take them aside (don’t “waste” a whole group’s time for one person). Offer to listen after the group meeting.

This routine will also allow you to gain more inner and human stability. It will calm the rumors and demonstrate a presence. Simple, effective. You’ll be more zen to manage the rest of the day and juggle priorities.

Doll #3: Business

Managing uncertainty, as a leader by acting proactively on the first two dolls, will allow you to be more calm in anticipating the economic future and business challenges as well as innovating for the crisis, and the post-crisis.

Innovate on:

• Your way of taking care of yourself.
• Your way of caring for others.
• The way you work.
• The way of doing business.
• Technology.
• The value you offer in the market.

Life’s worst situations bring out the beauty of helping each other. I don’t know if you’ve seen the videos of the Italians meeting to sing together. They live together, stand and adapt one day at a time.

And how do you manage business in times of uncertainty?

You don’t forget your long-term vision, but in a chaotic situation, you manage on a daily basis. You don’t know what’s going to happen in a few hours, tomorrow… So if you try to do too many future scenarios, it will become anxiety-provoking.

And so, take ONE STEP AT A TIME. Move forward, every day. Set clear, small, motivating goals, yes, check off ✅ what you’ve done, because you know what?

We will have to celebrate!

Before leaving… Check at the bottom of the article, I have an important message for you.

In conclusion

You have two things to do in a moment of uncertainty: connect and guide.

• Connect with yourself. (Doll #1)
• Connect with others. (Doll #2)
• Act so that others connect together. (Dolls #1 + #2)
• To be a leader in creating the guides, for oneself, for others. This often takes the form of goals. (Dolls #1 + #3)
• To be a guide, towards the goals. This often takes the form of communication. (Dolls #2 + #3)
• Act as a guide with yourself, others, business. This often takes the form of courage, vulnerability and authenticity. (Dolls #1 + #2 + #3)

Do you see that without the first two dolls, the^3rd cannot exist? BE a guide, BE TOGETHER to achieve goals.

The world needs a different kind of leadership: are you on board? It’s time!