Five leadership tips for dealing with critical change
It’s a couple of weeks since I recorded the latest Small Spark Theory podcast episode (40) with guest, Sally Henderson. Sally is an executive change mentor and has worked with leadership teams at some of the most influential brands and agencies across the world. Amid continued global uncertainty, it felt like there was no better time to talk to Sally about what good leadership looks like in a crisis. And it’s still something I’m thinking of daily. Citizens are looking to their politicians and employees are looking to their employers; we’re all still in need of direction and reassurance.
If you’re a leader of an agency, you’ll will no doubt be continuing to feel the pressure. As we move from the challenges of lockdown and into the next phase of this pandemic, having the capacity and ability to look after our teams — as well as our own personal wellbeing — must become a priority. With this in mind, I thought I’d summarise five of the many brilliant pointers that Sally shared about leading with clarity, confidence and authenticity.
1. Balance your short-term and long-term vision.
When everything around the world is in a state of flux and changing all the time, there is a real need to make and implement plans for the short-term. We can’t doggedly pursue our long-term objectives by simply ignoring the immediate situation and carrying on as if nothing is happening. What’s more, many long-term plans that were made before covid will feel irrelevant now — and may need to be completely adapted or redesigned if they’re to be useful. However, it’s important to address the long term, too. Getting caught up in a cycle of short-term planning is unsettling for everyone and your team will be looking to you for reassurance about the future. This is a time for authentic, honest and clear leadership that speaks frankly about the situation, the steps the business is going to take, and how the future vision may be impacted. Allow yourself the time to think, strategise and communicate this well.
2. Don’t isolate yourself.
Find your tribe, or someone external to the business who is neutral and objective, so you can speak about your challenges and concerns. Few of us (even in more normal times) spend enough time thinking and talking about how we feelin a professional context. Find a mentor or join one of the great networks like Agency Collective, the Design Business Association or Agency Hackers who facilitate brilliant peer support and a safe space to learn and share your concerns. There’s also a lot of help out there at the moment. Many experts are offering discounted, complimentary and reciprocal consultancy and services; take advantage of the free resources and the spirit of generosity that’s out there.
3. Know what your job is & check in with your ambition.
So many leaders, when asked to very clearly and simply describe what their job entails, can’t do it. This is rarely a question that you’re asked as a leader, but it’s important to know the answer. If you don’t have real clarity and certainty about what your job is, and what it’s not, it’s really hard to measure your own progress and success effectively, which will deplete your motivation over time.
Similarly, it’s important to look after your own ambitions. As a leader, you probably don’t have many objective people to speak to about this. We can easily find ourselves in a position of ‘stale safety’, where nothing specific is drastically wrong, but we’re no longer clear about what we want from the business. Once you’ve spent some time defining what your job actually is, it’s also wise to scrutinise whether it’s a job you actually want. If you saw a description of your current role advertised, would you want to apply for it? If not, there may be changes you can make, as you re-plan for the year ahead, that can make all the difference to your personal levels of fulfilment.
4. Offer support when you have the energy to provide it.
To be a good leader, you need to be aware of your own energy levels. For example, if you ask your team to tell you how they’re feeling, you must have the stamina to deal with their answers and take action. Life feels like a bit of a roller coaster ride at the moment. Remote working doesn’t agree with everyone and there are days that are tougher than others — for all of us. Be aware of your own energy and pick your moments; offer support when you have the strength to provide it.
5. Recognise that you only have 100% to give.
Write no more than five bullet points that summarise the key things that you do in your role at the agency. Now, percentage weight each of these bullet points in accordance with the amount of time you think you spend on them. It’s highly likely that you’ll reach a total that’s higher than 100%. This is common for leaders. However, it’s really important to understand that you only have 100% to give. If you’re trying to give even 105%, every day, you’re at risk of burning out. Similarly, your remit within the agency may have evolved (for good, or for the time being). It’s wise to redraft your five bullet points and assess them regularly to make sure that you’re putting the right amount of energy into the right things, for right now.
I hope you agree that Sally’s pointers are really simple to understand and act upon. Yet they offer the potential to make a huge difference to the amount of clarity, confidence and motivation that you have as a leader at the right now. From the conversations I’m having with agency leaders and team members, it’s clear that we’re all feeling incredibly vulnerable and uncertain. And the advice here should remind leaders that it’s important to put the oxygen mask on first, before trying to help others.
Visit www.smallsparktheory.com to learn more about our remote mentoring programmes and online new business & marketing courses for agency leaders.
