Eyes on the prize: Leading through interesting times

There’s no doubt that living in interesting times puts enormous pressure on business leaders. Nonetheless, these challenges put leaders to the test and those who break through barriers and make the most out of tough situations are a force to be reckoned with! For them, the greater the challenge, the better the opportunity. That’s because they prepare for different possibilities before they step on the field, and they know when to adjust their game plan.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you work: for us to truly grow as leaders, we must step out of our comfort zones. You have to be flexible, so you can pivot when things change. You have to be willing to ditch past expectations and look forward. Leading through tough times also requires a growth mindset and a no-excuses attitude.

Changing the dynamic to meet the unexpected; Nextiva events go virtual

Around me, I see many examples of how our Nextiva team has excelled and exceeded under crazy difficult circumstances. One of our champions has been—and continues to be—our director of events, Andrea White.

At the beginning of March 2020, when none of us had any idea what was about to hit the fan, Andrea had a full slate of events on the calendar—with people, venues, booths, hotel room blocks, and budgets committed. By the end of March, the cancellations started; and by summer, it was clear that the “new normal” had set in. Andrea’s focus changed to renegotiating, rebooking, and putting off live events indefinitely. But that was just the beginning.

The biggest challenge? Keeping customers, partners and prospective partners fully engaged—people love to network live and in-person. We love the conviviality of the informal cocktail hour. It’s good for relationships. The opportunity? Pivot to virtual events and make it easy (and fun) for partner and channel managers to do face-to-face networking from a safe distance.

In collaboration with the Marketing programs team, Andrea created a menu of fun, curated virtual event options, such as wine tastings and cooking classes facilitated by vetted, trusted vendors. They ensured seamless, contactless (safe) delivery of event materials to hosts and attendees ahead of time. At the height of the initiative, Andrea organized as many as six virtual networking events every week!

To keep the energy high, post-event, each one included a contest component, such as a photo contest. Winners received fabulous prizes and had their entries posted on social media. Just as important, partner and channel managers maintained a high level of engagement.

And as we emerge from lockdowns and shut-downs, Andrea is pivoting yet again: back to planning in-person events, in a changing environment that poses all-new challenges, like how each state has its own compliance requirements for safe gatherings, from tight to none.

What’s her secret? Always have a backup plan—and a backup plan for the backup plan. Solve the problem that’s in front of you and anticipate the next one. Take responsibility for creating positive results when things change, like having to furlough your team. See the opportunities for creative solutions in a crisis situation.

Free your mind for growth

As I mentioned, Andrea is just one example of flexible, accountable leadership at Nextiva. Each of us has the potential to lead this way when we are willing to grow past our comfort zone.

Questions I like to ask:

• How are you thinking about change?
• How are you going to show up in the new version of reality?
• What are you going to do differently?
• How are you thinking about creating value for your customers, your partners, your company?

Keeping a growth mindset when it seems like resources and opportunities are scarce can be very uncomfortable. When you’re not driving the same outcomes as you did last year, last quarter, or even last month, it’s time for a change. It's about having the courage to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

But why is a growth mindset so important? Your mindset influences your actions, and actions drive results. And we are accountable for the results we produce.

Leading means taking responsibility: I’m here for you, we’re here for each other

Steve Jobs often talked about the one thing that separates great leaders from the rest: great leaders don't offer excuses or reasons for why they failed.

The foundation of effective teamwork is a commitment to personal responsibility, individual accountability. No-excuses leadership sets the example for all of us to keep our commitments to each other. This is how we keep growing, this is how we find creative solutions to new problems, this is how we win together.

Our teams at Nextiva, just like so many others, have been through the mill in the past year with a multitude of ongoing business and personal challenges. I’m so proud of how we’ve come through it all together. Our partners and customers are all facing similar challenges—and opportunities.

We're not going to get where we want to be doing what we've always done. No time to look back—the only direction is forward. Stay flexible, focus on growth, be accountable—and go do amazing things!