Leading Well in an Upside-Down World
Whether talking with a leader, watching the news, or reading online posts, we are seeing a variety of words used to express the world today. For example: Unhinged. Wacked. Broken. Messed up. Screwed up. Muddled. Shambles. Unraveled. Deconstructed. Depraved. Polarized. Just recently, I heard an experienced leader of a large nonprofit social services agency use the words complex, unprecedented, and stressful. Depending on the day, I would use some of these words myself!
There have been numerous times throughout history when leaders had to lead in what felt like an upside-down world. If we, as leaders, primarily fix our eyes and focus our minds on the messiness and complexity, we will become pessimistic, anxious, and unhopeful. And we will spread that to those around us like a dog spreading fleas.
So here are six ways to lead well and be hopeful in a world that feels upside-down.
1. Acknowledge it.
Well-known writer and CEO Max De Pree once said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” Defining reality may not always be easy, but we can at least recognize it. Facing reality is essential for any leader. And while a hopeful and optimistic outlook is vital when confronting overwhelming obstacles, fake optimism (which ignores the realities being experienced) can feel like we are trying to con those around us. And that seldom is respected or appreciated. It can help you and your team to acknowledge the challenges, stressors, and complexity – just don’t set up camp there.
2. Remember, there is rarely anything we experience that others haven’t experienced before.
I find encouragement from the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes in the Bible where the writer says, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” While the specific nature of the challenges facing leaders has changed, leaders have faced their own “unique” challenges in their own “unique” context for thousands of years. We are not “unique,” and we are not alone.
3. Be careful of the people you allow into your space and your mind.
The company we keep has a major influence on how we lead and think. A steady diet of draining people and negative thinkers will weigh you down and suck you dry, even for the best of leaders. So, guard your space wisely and pick your team carefully. You don’t want to have fake optimism, but you also don’t want emotional vampires to suck you dry.
4. You find what you are looking for, so look carefully.
If you want to find evidence for why the world is a bit unhinged, you do not have to look far. A recent scan of my news feed included words like “layoffs”, “hackers”, “retirement crisis”, “tariffs”, “measles outbreak”, “stocks dive”, and “war.” The challenge of the constant creation of information and social media is that it never ends, and negative news sells better than positive. So, limit your diet of bad news to only what is most relevant to you. And intentionally look out for the good news because it is there too.
5. When you cannot transform, improve.
In the 1993 film Rudy, Rudy Ruettiger is desperate to play football for Notre Dame but keeps getting denied. When he asked a priest why this was happening, the wise priest told him, “There is a God, and I am not him.” As leaders, we cannot control every crisis, fix every problem, or mend every division. But we often can do something. We can strive to improve what is within our reach, encourage others to not lose hope, and sacrificially serve even when it doesn’t feel like it is making a difference.
6. Change your internal dialogue.
Humans are notorious for focusing on catastrophic thinking and what is broken. Yet research has shown that the more we refocus our thinking from negative talk to an optimistic outlook, the more positive the outcome will be. So, changing the script in our brains is essential to building a healthy firewall against being overwhelmed by an upside-down world.
Leading in an upside-down world is tough. Show grace to yourself and others, stay hopeful, and do your best to improve what is in your control. And if you could use a trusted advisor to walk alongside you, contact us to learn how our experienced consultants can help. You don’t have to do it alone.
Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.
Withhold encouragement from your team, and you will lose creativity, initiative, and commitment. Give it generously, and you will multiply their performance. Here’s how.