Leading in Uncertainty

Leading in uncertain times, is one of the toughest leadership challenges there is.

Here’s are 5 tips that I try to follow when undertaking this challenge.

• Tell people what you know.
  In uncertain times people need information, without information this can lead to anxiety and stress, neither of which is of benefit to them or to the leader.

• Tell them what you don’t know.
  Be honest, if you don’t know something tell them, otherwise people will think you are withholding information, or worse still they may hold back something they know, which you don’t.

• Don’t bullshit, people can spot bullshit a mile away.

• Explain your plan
  As a leader it is expected that you will come up with a plan.
  Tell people what your plan is, explain why you are making the decisions you are making.
  If they are logical you will get buy-in, if not you will get questions.
  Transparency breeds trust and in uncertain times, trust is a great commodity to have.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for input.
  As leaders we are not expected to have all the answers, or all the ideas, but
  we are expected to come up with the best plan, based on all of the information available.  Without asking for input, we potentially won’t have all the available information, and consequently we might not have the best plan.

These simple tips may help you come through this difficult challenge more easily.

What about you, what are you tips for dealing with uncertainty>