Uncertainty – The Ongoing Leadership Challenge
Here we are at the start of a new year. Welcome 2023! Are there less challenges? Not really. We basically roll over whatever we carried with us from the previous year.
There are certainly many challenges facing leaders in this world but one of the greatest is uncertainty and the work you do with your teams to address this challenge will have a profound effect on the people of your enterprise.
Uncertainty is fraught with opportunity as well as fear and how leaders deal with it affects talent development, alignment, and adaptability in organizational culture.
But not all uncertainties are created equal. Let’s take a dive into the 4 major types -
1. Technological uncertainty:
We face it every time we turn on a computer and wrestle with new software and the latest version 3.602.444a.
How about grappling with a hot sync of our iPhone 13 with our Apple Watch and Google device.
Or maybe the latest GPS system upgrade on our aging fleet of gas-guzzling SUVs.
Technological uncertainty causes our feelings of incompetence to rise as we realize that we will have to finally admit that we don’t know how to program the ROKU – because my FIRE Stick just became officially obsolete last week, and I fear that I may not be far behind.
2. Political uncertainty.
In the world around us, we see the tremendous impact of the ever-increasing violence and chaos of not only hot spots of the globe but also the shopping center in our own back yard.
Organizations have a new sense of accountability which has driven leadership change both in style and personality.
The radical shifts at Twitter, Meta, Netflix & Play-Doh (the list grows ever longer) and the almost daily shake up of players trickles down to the organizational mindset.
Leading companies of the past have given us all the signals that we need to carefully weigh our allegiances and decisions in a world where “politics as usual” become “whose got the hot potato?”
3. Financial uncertainty – now there’s a good old standby stress producer!
Pension plans, stock options, market volatility, Supply Chain Logistics – you name it – leaders face a greater dragon today in the yearly forecast than they did in a decade after World War II.
Accounting practices, ROI and market expectations seem to ask us to “pull a rabbit out of a hat” while also placing scrutiny at an all-time premium.
Then of course there is the completely obsolete idea of job security. Being ready is the only security. What have you done for your career lately?
4. Strategic uncertainty.
A five-year plan has become an impossible dream.
We yearn for a vision – a sense of direction and destination to give meaning and value to the activities and struggles of the day.
How do we plan for the availability of talent? They’re looking to leadership to provide clarity.
Employees are looking for a sense of purpose, a motivation that is greater than just their own well-being, a reason to believe – and belong!
An effective leader replaces uncertainty, fear and doubt with purpose, courage, and trust.
Purpose provides clear direction in the face of uncertainty. It is the energetic “magnet” that pulls people together and points them in a similar direction.
Courage provides strength and commitment in the face of fear. Trust in oneself and one’s purpose overcomes doubt. This individual awareness along with collaborating with the team creates clarity of purpose. Along with connecting with the individual’s driving purpose, they need to understand the role they play in the bigger picture of the organization.
Stay ahead of the 2023 uncertainty by tapping into your driving purpose and that of your teams. How do you do that you ask? Let us know how we can help. WorkLife has helped thousands of people address these challenges and we’d be happy to help you. Schedule a complimentary call with Dave or Laura by accessing this link: https://worklifeonline.as.me/discovery