There are two paths you can take right now:
- Wait and see what happens, hoping for the best
OR
- Act decisively every day based on the best you have.
As a leader, it should be obvious that the second path is the one to take. The more forward looking action you take, the more in control you will feel. Forward movement is all any of us got. And your teams are looking to you for leadership. I know you’re scared. And I know they’re scared. Or if one is not scared, perhaps they’re complacent or in denial.
I recognize the level of ‘scared’ depends on the resources available to weather the storm. The more you have, the more comfort you can take in your survival. But that is no reason to be complacent. Because no one knows how long or how deep this is going to go.
You can be confident in knowing you are not alone in this. Our culture is hardwired to be independent and go it alone. But there is no shame in asking for help.
“Confidence comes with competence”
– Brian Moran (12-Week Year)
And competence comes with doing. It comes with decisiveness. Now is the time to test and iterate. Now is the time to take ownership and apply sweat equity on your future.
Taking decisive action begets more. Your teams will rally around you. Show empathy and a little vulnerability. Don’t sugar coat the reality as we can see right through it. Just the same, don’t tolerate superficial answers masking the truth. You need the best people on your team. It’s times like these where those with the drive and gumption will rise. The passive will fall back. If you must part ways, do so with empathy and compassion.
Don’t try and predict the future because you’re likely to undershoot it. And don’t go slow on making tough decisions. Dig deep and go.
This is a time for agility. You can’t rely on the annual plan you made last fall. It’s so February. Make a new plan. But make it for today. This week. And then revise it next week. And the week after that.
This is a time to execute. You need to put that weekly plan into action to see if it works or not. And then iterate. And iterate again.
Forward action is how you lead right now. Do your best today and then bring your best tomorrow. Let’s go.