How Champion Leaders Adapt to Lead People Through Change

This is my final post for launch week. THANK YOU for your incredible support. I truly appreciate all of you who have reached out to congratulate me. The Champion Leader is now on sale! Please pick up a copy: https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Leader-Harnessing-Intelligence-High-Performing/dp/1394211333 (here is the Amazon link to order). Thank you!

Emotionally intelligent leaders meet their organizations exactly where they are at any given point. Carl Elsener Jr. found himself needing to do this in crisis mode following the terrorist attacks on New York City on September 11, 2001. His company, Victorinox, found its business challenged like never before.

Nearly overnight, sharp objects (namely knives) were prohibited on planes. Even worse, a large percentage of their sales occurred at airport duty-free stores. While not a problem for most companies, it was devastating for this Swiss company. Victorinox is the maker of the world-famous Swiss Army Knife. They seemed doomed. How could they possibly reverse their fortunes?

During that turbulent time, Victorinox did not fire a single employee. They believed in their core values of being a tight-knit company that supported their people. As CEO Carl Elsener Jr. said, “We lost over 40% of our business?.?.?. Jobs have always been a main focus for us. We really do see ourselves as a big family, in good times and bad.”

As the global landscape changed, Victorinox ramped up production of luggage, travel gear, watches, and developed a clothing/leisure line that has since been discontinued. They had the self-awareness to know that their chief product alone wouldn’t suffice. An empathetic leader—with seeds of love and care sown in their leader’s chair for generations—put his people first. He remained upbeat, positive, and adapted to focus on how to drive profits and care for his people in an ever-changing economy.

How You Can Adapt Early to Meet Employees’ Needs

Caring leaders take the time to get to know their employees first (if possible) during the interview process and then immediately after. This is an enduring relationship. Caring leaders invest their time in getting to know the strengths and areas their employees are looking to improve, as well as what their personal and professional interests are.

They understand what their employees’ short-and long-term plans are—in fact, they partner with them to develop them. Champion leaders are coaches. They focus on values, connecting them with learning resources, as well as people at the company that can help their development. They do this from the get-go because they know it’s at the heart of crafting an incredible employee experience that leads to a culture of connection.

It doesn’t take long for a motivated, high-performing employee to understand what is and isn’t possible for advancement at their company. What’s remarkable is how few companies and organizations clearly define this path forward. If there’s no performance management process in place—no clearly defined and presented process for promotion—then upbeat employees will lose interest and start looking elsewhere.

Build in career development conversations early on in someone’s tenure. Be open-minded in creating a work flexibility policy that rewards performance. Do the best that you can to show someone what their path forward looks like at the company. There are no guarantees and no playbook that details precisely how to get promoted—we know this.

What you can do is help your employees focus on high-value goals that increase the probability that they will reach that next level. Articulate this vision and help them to see themselves in it. Tie it to the big picture goals for your team and the entire organization. You have a lot of control and influence over the employee experience.

Take a look again at this list of why employees are leaving. Ask yourself, “What can I control, and what can I influence?” Then, take actions that consistently make your workplace an engaging and inspiring place to be.

Adaptability Means Taking Responsibility

When I think about creating ownership as a leader, I think about one word: responsibility. This means that you take charge of making success happen and you adapt to any changes that need to be made.

You have to demand the best from yourself to build your responsibility strength. Competitive greatness is about challenging yourself (and challenging your team members) to be your best. High achievers want to be challenged. When you do this with compassion, you build confidence in your team members. You become more confident in your leadership capabilities.

You see each new gain as powering you forward toward your next step of growth. Be open to how others can help you and be humble to allow them to help you. Being responsible is about embracing a game plan that starts with a foundation of personal accountability. Jocko Willink talks about responsibility in his book Extreme Ownership:

“On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.”

I’d add that it’s important to strike a balance between what you take home, so to speak, and what you leave behind each day. It’s never a good thing to put too much blame on yourself. It affects your mindset and can destroy self-confidence. Whether you’ve made a mistake or absorbed a team failure, take your time to process it, regroup, and move forward to the next opportunity with confidence.

Also remember to take ownership over your successes. Finding this equanimity of self-confidence helps you to not get too high—or too low. I’ve coached some leaders who process their thoughts and say,

“I’m an accomplished leader who’s well respected, but I struggle with success. I sometimes don’t see myself as successful, even when others do. It comes and goes, and sometimes I struggle with seeing myself the way others see me.”

We’re all going to face the “Sunday Scaries” from time to time, and yes, sometimes it feels easier to not want to own the responsibilities that come with leading a team. It’s OK to doubt yourself from time to time—this leads to introspection and moves you toward the foundational pillars of purpose and values. This strengthens your desire to take responsibility.

The most important topic that many leadership conversations boil down to is confidence. Even the leaders at the top of their professions struggle with self-confidence at times. It’s a reminder that taking ownership and building strong, resolute inner-belief each day helps us to boost confidence.

Sending my very best to you and your family from the South Carolina Coast.

Yours truly,

Christopher

Christopher D. Connors is the author of The Champion Leader. He's a keynote speaker, executive coach, and globally recognized expert on emotional intelligence. Christopher consults with executives and leaders at Fortune 1000 companies and with organizations spanning many industries.

The Champion Leader is now on sale! Please pick up a copy: https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Leader-Harnessing-Intelligence-High-Performing/dp/1394211333. Christopher is also the creator of top LinkedIn Learning course, Leading with Emotional Intelligence.

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