It is not abnormal for leaders to feel stuck and out of place when face with sudden surprises. At times they are ill informed even ill-equipped to handle the demons.
When complexities of the outer world surpasses the abilities of your inner world then you need to really think ways to overcome the surging challenges. While every leader have their own unique set of challenges but some characteristics stands out and make any leader great.
Here are 6 simple yet powerful to lead during the times of uncertainties and ambiguity.
- From KNOW it all to LEARN it all – we are hard wired to know clear, concrete answers to to our questions and get unambiguous picture of the messy world but not anymore. Although avoiding these unpleasant feelings is a natural human tendency, it can become a significant barrier to learning, future growth, and ultimately performance.
- Don’t confuse between Complicate & Complex – You may have a complicate, a very difficult problem but can come up with solutions as things around them connected by certain rules and fixed even predictable outcome but not with complex problems where things are largely unknown, unpredictable and unforeseeable. As a result, solutions to complex challenges typically emerge through trial and error and require the willingness, humility, and ability to act, learn, and adapt.
- Instead of Perfectionism Aim for Progress – When things are often changing having perfectionism is often a futile attempt. Instead focus on movement, expect mistakes and challenges but maintain the momentum.
- Resist Oversimplification & Persist with Resolution – It’s tempting to oversimplify complex challenges, so that they seem less daunting. Likewise, drawing analogies from challenges that you’ve faced in the past, can be useful but it can also lead you to miss the unique nuances of the present challenge. Instead of caving to the desire for quick resolution, leaders must learn to balance their need for action with a disciplined approach to understanding both the core problem and their own biases.
- From Individual Excellence to Collective Competence – Part of their sense of isolation comes from an implicit belief that they need to solve all of the issues themselves. Cultivate the practice of intentionally reaching out to the network and beyond for insight and perspective.
