Jane Howell |
Leaders are facing tough challenges due to uncertainties surrounding
their businesses. But Jane Howell, professor in organised behaviour
at Richard Ivey School of Business, says it is important for
managers in companies to listen and provide relevant information
to staff to get through difficult times.
Can you tell us how coaching can help companies under
these market conditions?
The need for coaching is at a premium during adversity. Leaders
need to listen carefully to their employees to understand and
deal with their stress, anxiety, frustration and loss of control.
By acknowledging and addressing these negative feelings, leaders
enable their employees to better cope with challenges and refocus
on their work and deliver results. Also, in turbulent times
employees need to be reassured and their accomplishments recognised.
Finally, asking for their input and ideas to tackle present
problems helps employees feel valued, motivated and energised,
and contributes to the turnaround of the business.
What does good leadership mean nowadays? Can you provide
some examples?
During volatile times the best leaders show four qualities.
First, they have high self-awareness of the impact of their
words and deeds on others. Effective leaders are calm and confident
under pressure, rather than moody and volatile. Leaders set
the tone and mood in the company and are closely observed. They
are always conveying signals, whether they realise it or not.
This is particularly true during this downturn where everyone
is watching carefully for signs from their leader about how
to react.
Second, leaders are visible; they don't hide in the management
bunker when times are tough. The best leaders run to problems,
not away from problems. For example, I consult with a capital
markets firm that had 11 large clients who were very upset about
their trading losses when the markets crashed in 2008. Instead
of avoiding the problem, the president decided to visit each
client and asked: "What's wrong right now and how can we
work together to make things better?" As a result, all
11 clients stayed with the firm and the relationships were stronger
than ever because he had the courage to tackle the problem quickly
and directly.
The third point for leaders is to keep employees in the loop
by communicating clearly, concisely and frequently. Providing
a steady stream of information about financial performance,
customer loyalty, or future opportunities to be seized, for
example, helps employees understand the present economic situation
and to plan and act going forward.
Finally, at a time when surviving is top-of-mind, the best
leaders also reflect and look to the future. Leaders who think
and act strategically by using the downturn to hire talent they
could not afford in the past or investing in leadership development
will be better positioned when the economic turnaround comes.
The critical question for leaders is: did we learn and become
stronger as a company through these tough times?
Can you tell us your research findings about how to lead during
a crisis?
Effective leaders during a crisis engage in three key actions.
First, they communicate an inspiring vision of the future, energising
their team to perform during difficult times. Second, leaders
who provide much-needed direction and feedback decrease team
members' stress and uncertainty and increase their productivity.
Third, the quality of the relationship between leaders and
team members matters. Positive relationships between leaders
and team members that are based on mutual trust, respect and
co-operation create a positive "emotional bank account"
that can be tapped during tough times. These three leadership
actions create optimism in team members who bounce back from
setbacks quicker, persevere in the face of obstacles, learn
new skills and can deal with future adversity. In the end, leadership
makes the difference between surviving and thriving, or disappearing.
SCMP
29th April, 2009
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