Leading During Unpredictable Times

I attended a conference during the last recession which was led by one of my longtime mentors, John Maxwell.  Although this happened many years ago, I was reminded of this session with regard to our own present period where we are facing a very high unemployment rate and so much economic uncertainty.  John spoke about many things that leaders must do, in order to overcome substantial obstacles that all of us face during tough times.  I went back to review my notes and I felt like this was the perfect time to go over some of what I took home as highlights of that powerful discussion. 

*Face reality - Look at the situation as it is. Talking about the good o'l days is not the reality 

*In unpredictable times, you have to believe in yourself. Share your beliefs as they are caught by those we lead. 

*Be passionate about what you do. Unpredictable times takes the energy out of people's lives. Passion gives you energy, it is the great energizer to help balance out your current reality. 

*Make good choices. Making choices on the front end with better thoughtfulness and intention will anchor you in the long run. Take the initiative during this difficult period and prioritize decisions that need to be made. "First things first". 

*Recall what you learned from bad experiences and put experience into play. Remember when we fail there are two leadership responses, one is to learn from a failure and the other is to lead with this knowledge.  Also, become astute about what you learn in difficult times, as it will help build your road map to recovery. 

*Value teamwork. John used the Mt. Everest analogy here, in that no one gets to the top of a mountain by themselves. If you think you got to the top of a mountain by yourself, it will take you an eternity to figure out how to get down. 

*Make it happen! When no one else is moving and you do, you win the race. Nothing predicts your future more than how you handle problems in your life.  Every problem holds a blessing in it, as he feels problems are messages that we need to pay attention to, even though they may not be what we want to focus on at first. 

*Watch your attitude. Don't sink with the circumstances.  You want your attitude to help shape your situation.  Ultimately, your attitude is your responsibility and until you take responsibility for yours, you will never have a good one. 

*Continue to persevere.  Dreams become our reality when we keep our commitment to them. 

*Nourish your relationships.  Friends and family are most important during difficult times as their support strengthens us.  It also feels much better to know that others understand the load you are carrying and they can help you emotionally with the weight and pressure you are feeling. 

Finally, after concluding his topics, John, left us with a different explanation for the word "ACT" for all leaders: A = Apply C = Change T = Teach. 

My greatest hope in all of the difficult times that we are undergoing right now is that we definitely learn from everything that we are facing.  Utilizing that knowledge with prescriptive determination can help us put together the type of plan which may help others to overcome their own unpredictable period, as we help light the way for those who follow in our footsteps.