Three insights into leading through crisis
Even as restrictions ease across Australia, we are still in a situation of uncertainty. We don’t know what is in front of us and what could happen in the world, in business and in our lives. It’s something I am speaking about regularly with my coaching clients. How do we continue forward with a positive mindset, when everything we know continues changing every day?
As humans we like to feel secure and live with a sense of certainty. By creating routines and structure we can predict how our daily lives will unfold, take reassurance in this predictability and know that we have a sense of control. Many of us are operating well outside our comfort zone and feel anxious and scared. Many people are trying to create control out of a situation that they have very little control over, playing out scenarios in their heads that ‘may’ happen and deciding how they will respond if they do. This actually creates more uncertainty – and the cycle continues.
How we are handling ourselves through this crisis comes down to three things.
1. The emotional state we choose to live in.
We either come from a place of fear or a place of love. When we live in fear, we are focused on the outcome, the result and what could potentially go wrong. We spend a great deal of energy trying to protect ourselves and avoiding real and imaginary potential risks. We flood our body with feelings like anxiety, sadness, frustration, overwhelm and anger leading to judgment and comparisons. We spend a lot of time remembering experiences in the past that reinforce these feelings or using the past to predict the future.
When we live in love, we accept that the only thing we can really change or experience is the present moment. We accept that things are how they are, not good or bad, not how we want them to be. Because we accept that this moment is how it is, we can focus on what we need to do in this moment and the choices available to us. When we are in the moment, we are present to what is really going on. We are present to how we are feeling without judgment, without letting feelings take over. We are open to possibility and choice.
2. What we believe about our own ability to handle whatever is thrown at us.
Control is an illusion. None of us have complete control over our lives. Something outside of our control could change everything in a second - death, economic situation, trauma, COVID-19. The only thing we can really control is our thoughts, words, beliefs, emotions, actions and our responses.
What do you believe about uncertainty? What you believe will be driving how you are responding or reacting to the situation.
· Is uncertainty about feeling out of control? Are you trying to enforce your opinion, decisions or choices in your life right now? Have you created strict rules, routines and processes to gain some control? Are your managers doing this, or your team? When people feel like they have no control, they either surrender to it and move into overwhelm or they create control. What are you looking to control in your life to give you a sense of control in this situation?
· Is uncertainty about being helpless? How are you acting in a helpless way? Are you going into overwhelm over the smallest thing or creating drama where no drama is needed? Are your team doing this?
· Is uncertainty about survival? Are you barely making it through and looking for external solutions to soothe you, like alcohol, food etc?
· Is uncertainty about opportunity? Is this situation something to embrace? Is there a better way that could come out of this situation if you look at it differently?
How we see and experience our lives is based on our beliefs. Most of our beliefs are on autopilot and we are unaware of them, but they inform how we react and respond. If you want to understand how you are leading your team right now, then have a good look at your beliefs. Consider what you believe to be true.
Here is a great way - just ask yourself these questions and fill in the blanks.
I believe COVID-19 is....
I believe people are....
I believe people should...
Whatever you answer is what is informing all of your thoughts, decisions and actions.
There is a major difference between those who believe COVID-19 is about opportunity and growth and those who believe it is the end of the world as we know it.
Each approaches the situation from a very different perspective, creating a very different environment for their team and different outcomes. By simply changing your perspective, you could have a very different outcome.
3. How and what we are demonstrating to our team about what we believe.
Think about the messages you are sending, the way you are reacting to situations, the way you are leading (or not) right now. What are you telling yourself, and therefore your team, that you don’t even realise? And what is the impact?
What could change if you changed your emotional state, your ability to handle the situation and what you believe?
Once you understand what’s going on internally, it’s easier to control what’s happening externally. If you want to be one step ahead in getting to ‘the other side’, you may need to adjust your own beliefs.