As we celebrate Memorial Day, let us honor those military men and women who gave their lives fighting for our country.   Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice may have taken very different paths along the way, and yet all are heroes. 

Some knew from a very young age that they wanted to serve their country by serving in the military.  I remember some childhood friends who played war games with their green army men or GI Joe toys, defending their positions and strategizing attacks on the enemy.  In high school or college, they joined ROTC to learn more about military service and to further develop their leadership skills.  They eagerly enlisted in their preferred branch of the military as soon as possible, knowing that this was their career of choice.

Others were initially reluctant, being selected in the draft and having to adapt to the idea of military service.  They may have been fearful, knowing that their lives and the lives of those around them depended upon being well-prepared for the unknown dangers ahead of them.  Even though it may not have been what they had planned for their career, once they were inducted into service they were united by a common cause – to defeat the enemy and protect our way of life.

Still others were triggered by a specific event such as the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 or the terrorist attacks on 9/11.  Their outrage at an attack on U.S. soil motivated them to make sure such an attack would not happen again.

Others chose to serve for other reasons:  as a way to afford a college education, to become more disciplined or learn life skills, or even to escape a challenging home environment.

No matter their reason or path to service, they all pulled together in support of a common cause and paid the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.  And for that, we should all be very grateful.

As the leader of your company, do you know why your employees have chosen to work for you?  Do you have a clearly defined common cause that will motivate them to pull together for the greater good?   Most importantly, do you tell them regularly that you are grateful for their service?

If not, then Memorial Day seems like a perfect time to start!    

One of the biggest challenges leaders face is leading through uncertainty.  The current COVID-19 situation is certainly one of those times. 

Uncertainty creates stress, so it is more important than ever for CEOs and business owners to step up and lead their teams with confidence.  Here are my 12 tips for effectively leading through uncertainty:

1. Communicate – Especially in times of uncertainty, the grapevine can run rampant.  It is important for everyone to hear from you directly about the situation and what you are doing.  Communicate frequently and in small sound bites.
2. Lead by Example – Understand that everyone is watching you – even when you think they are not.  Everything you do and say is under scrutiny.  Are you frantic or calm?  Are you withdrawing or making yourself available to your people?  Are you following company policy (e.g. staying home when you are sick), or are you breaking your own rules?  Your behavior sends a very strong message.
3. Create Contingency Plans – What if your largest supplier shuts down temporarily?  What if your customers stop buying your products and services for a month?  What financial resources are available?  What happens if schools and childcare centers close and your employees need to stay home with their kids?  What will you do if someone at your company tests positive?  Create contingency plans for various scenarios in case you need to implement them quickly.
4. Be Decisive – It’s ok not to have all the answers.  Ask your team for input and brainstorm with them on areas where you unsure of the best approach.  Seek outside input from your peers, such as your fellow Vistage members.  Once you’ve gathered input from others and evaluated the potential risks and rewards, then go ahead and make those decisions, no matter how challenging.  Procrastination only leads to more stress and uncertainty for everyone.
5. Inspire Confidence and Teamwork – Let your team know that you believe in them.  It’s ok to admit to them that you do not know the potential impact of the situation on your business.  Just let them know that you are glad you are entering this period of uncertainty with such a strong team on your side.  Inspire confidence that together you can get through anything that comes your way. 
6. Delegate Small Decisions – A sense of control alleviates stress caused by uncertainty, so find opportunities to allow your employees to exercise control within their departments.  For example, can employees within a department figure out how they are going to cover the work if someone is out, rather than being told that everyone needs to work 10-hour days?   For the short term, can they control moving the weekly meeting to virtual rather than meeting in person in the conference room?  Delegating some of the smaller decisions allows you and your management team to focus on more strategic decisions.
7. Offer Support – Understand that some of your employees may be feeling overwhelmed and fearful.  So even if you do not feel stressed, be aware that others may be experiencing extreme stress.  They may be worried about the health of an older relative, or their personal financial situation.  Remind your employees about resources that are available to them, such as your EAP (Employee Assistance Program) or other mental health or financial resources.
8. Practice Self-Care – Are you taking care of yourself?  Getting enough sleep?  Exercising and eating right?  Are you giving yourself mental health breaks?  Taking care of yourself can help protect your immune system and enable you to be at your best.
9. Include Humor – Laughter is a terrific stress-reducer.  Are there ways to inject appropriate humor into the workplace?  For example, we are being reminded to wash our hands with soap and water for 20 seconds at a time.  A recent article in the Tampa Bay Times listed 20 songs that you could wash your hands to, such as “Stayin Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas, and “Karma Chameleon” by the Culture Club.  Could you pipe those songs into the bathrooms to add a bit of humor while encouraging them to practice good hygiene?   Or could you start the weekly meeting with a funny clip from a movie?
10. Encourage Breaks – Exercise and sunshine can reduce stress.  Consider encouraging your employees to take short breaks to walk outside.
11. Fix Existing Problems – Does the current situation allow you to make changes that you’ve been procrastinating?  Is it time to update employee policies or terminate that underperforming employee?  This time of uncertainty may be the perfect time to act and fix existing problems.
12. Identify Potential Opportunities – Are there opportunities in this time of uncertainty to provide a new product or service to existing customers or sell to a new market?  What long-term effects might the pandemic have on your industry?  How can you adapt your business model to a new normal?  Staying focused on opportunities and possibilities can give you an advantage over your competition.  It is also much more fun than looking only at the negative impact of the current situation. 

Companies that are well-led through difficult times often come out stronger than before.  It’s time for you to step up and lead!

All the sacrifices you gave

For the home of the brave

All the battles you fought

For the freedom you sought

From foxhole, ship or plane

With untold suffering and pain

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

Today, please thank a vet!

Happy Veterans’ Day

Are you an inspirational leader? Even when times get tough? How you lead your team through challenging times can significantly impact their motivation and potentially the success of your company.

Let’s assume that Joe and Sue are CEOs who have just learned that their biggest customer has been acquired by a much larger company. The acquirer informed them that they will no longer need their service or product. This customer represents a significant portion of their business, and the acquisition was completely unanticipated. They did not have a contingency plan in place. (For more on the importance of contingency plans, see my blog entitled, “Distant Storm Clouds – Do You Have a Plan?”)

Joe hears the news and immediately retreats to his office and shuts the door. He spends the next hour frantically calling his contacts at the customer, trying to ask them to make an introduction to the new owner so he can get back in the door. When that doesn’t work, he sits in his office, completely stressed out, and worried that he may lose the entire business as a result. He stays in his office, afraid to talk to his employees even though he knows they have also likely heard about the lost customer. He waits until all of his employees are gone for the day, then goes home, where he also avoids his family. He does not want to worry them, and he is so stressed that he cannot think clearly. He continues to avoid speaking to his employees for several more days. While he knows that the problem will not go away, he is afraid to tell his employees that he does not have a plan.

Sue hears the news, and immediately calls her management team together. She shares the information she has just learned, and tells her team, “This is a big loss for us. I must admit that I did not see this coming, and do not have a plan that is ready to implement. I will call the customer in case there is a way to negotiate a longer transition period. Meanwhile, we will need to work together to find a way to increase sales to replace the volume of business that we lost. At the same time, we will also identify where we can cut costs to offset the loss in revenue in the short term. One of the first things we will do is to determine how to share this information with the rest of our employees so that they can help us find the necessary solutions, while being truthful that we do not know how this may impact us in the short term. Let’s spend some time brainstorming ideas, then I will ask each of you to take the lead on one or more initiatives. We will check in with one another daily to see how things are progressing and how we can support one another. I have confidence in our team and know that we will be able to work through this challenge and come out on the other side even stronger. Let’s do this!”

Which of these two leaders inspires more confidence?  If you worked for Sue, you would likely respect her approach, and how she takes charge of the process while seeking input from her management team. She admits her mistakes, and most importantly, expresses confidence in her team’s ability to work together to overcome the challenge.

Sue is an inspirational leader.  What type of leader are you?

You may be smart, but are you emotionally intelligent?

Is there someone in your company who is very much attuned to the needs of others? They seem to be able to sense things about people that the rest of us miss. Others have a way of controlling their emotions and remaining level-headed in even the most stressful situations. I suspect each of you can think of at least one person who displays those characteristics. How do they do it?

Chances are that they have a high degree of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence, also known as Emotional Quotient or “EQ”, is often defined as the capacity to understand and interpret the intentions, motivations and desires of others and the ability to understand oneself. EQ is often broken down into 4 core skills:

1.  Self-awareness — is the ability to accurately perceive your own emotions in the moment and understand your tendencies across situations.
2.  Self-management — involves controlling your own emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
3.  Social awareness — is the ability to sense, understand, and react to others’ emotions while comprehending social networks.
4.  Relationship management — is the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing conflict.

Studies have shown that 90 percent of high performers are also high in EQ.   These are important skills for good leaders. The good news is that EQ can be developed.  You can start by taking an EQ assessment to identify which areas you would like to address, then by creating a plan to improve in those areas. By focusing on increasing your emotional intelligence, you will likely increase success in both your business and personal life.