How to Embrace Uncertainty

How to Embrace Uncertainty

(Based Upon the Teaching of John Maxwell – Adapted by Illens Dort)

Life is full of uncertainties. And yet as human beings we are very uncomfortable with uncertainty. Most people are less stress with bad news than they do with uncertainty. By nature, we love to be in control. It is difficult and even impossible to control what we are not sure of. A crisis only amplifies the level of uncertainty by an insurmountable magnitude. This amplification increases our level of stress and anxiety.

In the midst of a crisis leaders need to know how to embrace uncertainty and remember these lessons so they can remain calm and lead their people to the “promised land.”

What Do Leaders Need to Know About Uncertainty?

Leaders need to know and always remember that uncertainty:

1)    Takes us out of automatic.

It forces us to shift gear. Automatic is the zone of comfort. We like order. We like things to remain natural, comfortable, predictable. We have learned to embrace certainty. Automatic is a good thing. It serves its purpose well. However, a crisis is the opposite of automatic. It’s a wake up call. It forces us to get out of automatic. It’s like driving on the freeway using your cruise control and suddenly you see few cars spinning out of control. You no longer want to stay on cruise control. You need to remember that:

• We don’t maximize anything when we are on automatic.
• We must shift from automatic to intentional.
• As John Maxwell often says, “Everything worthwhile is uphill.” During a crisis the hill becomes steeper and harder to climb.
• You can no longer stay on cruise control or the comfortable gear. You must shift to a stronger gear.

2)    Provides us with great leadership opportunity.

During a crisis people are looking for leadership, because the level of uncertainty increases exponentially. Leaders need to remember these wise counsels:

• Every opportunity is surrounded by a problem or several obstacles. A
• ll problems have within them the seeds of an equal or greater opportunity.
• All problems have solutions.

3)    Keeps us focus on today.

Every day I wake up I thank God for another good day that I am about to live. Every night I thank Him for that day I just had and pray that I will have his grace for tomorrow. Taking care of today is paramount. We only have today.

Today’s responsibilities:

• Take care of the people I am leading including my family.
• Take care of my clients and the people I associate with in business.
• Take care of myself – Is my level of energy (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) high enough to sustain me today? Do I have enough to share with others?

Questions to contemplate:

• Did I lead well today?
• Did I live well today?
• Did I build during the crisis?
• Or did I get buried by it?
• Did I maximize my time and focus on the things that really matter?

Wisdom to remember:

• If I prepare well today, I will not need to repair tomorrow.
• I only have the gift of today.

4)    Reintroduces us to humility.

I have learned this lesson years ago. No human being is totally self-reliant. There is no self-made person. We rely on one another. This is the beauty of life. We do have responsibilities. We have duties to perform. We need to be good steward of the gifts we have been given. We need to constantly magnify them. But we can’t do all these things without the support of others. Without the help of a good God (as we say it in Creole) we can’t handle life on our own.

This virus that is 1000 times smaller than a grain of sand (as Elder Holland pointed out) is big and strong enough to bring the world and the economy to their knees. More than ever, during a crisis we need the help of God and of our fellowmen. A crisis helps us to be more teachable, more relatable, and more human, because it makes us more vulnerable. John Maxwell states that “Humility is the bridge between success and significance.”

5)    Requires us to be more creative.

Creative people always believe there is an answer. Not only they believe there is an answer, they also believe there is more than one answer. During this crisis a lot of great people are working around the clock to find the solutions to this pandemic. And they will! All great leaders, coaches, and all-star players know that the greater the challenge the harder and smarter they have to work. They also know they have to be more creative. During the moment of uncertainty, they also know how important it is to put people first.

6)    Tests our teaching and even our leadership styles.

During normal times words can come easy and effortless. Sometimes people may not even question them. People pay more attention to our words and actions during time of crisis because they are looking for leadership. They need the strength and the experience of a leader to help them navigate the stormy sea. They are evaluating our words and actions constantly. They want to make sure they are congruent in good time as well as in time of turmoil.

What Leaders Have to Offer to People During Uncertainty?

During difficult time, leaders need to offer their people:

1)    Continual hope.

Hope is stronger than optimism. This uncertainty no one knows for sure when it will be over. No one knows exactly how many people will be infected and impacted. No one knows how many lives will be taken.

As leaders we can share the hope that this too will pass. People who are optimistic will tend to say in 4 weeks all will be fine. But we don’t know for sure. It’s okay for people to know that there are certain things that even a great leader may not know for sure. Uncertainty is one them. We can only help people hope for the best and prepare them for the worst.

2)    Grace and compassion.

During difficult times people are overly stressed and full of anxiety. Leaders need to know that no one is at his best when he is overly stressed.

3)    A thoughtful mind

How do you do that? Leadership is a visual act and art.

• You walk slowly among them (now six feet or more from them).
• You listen to them.
• You encourage them.

4)    Patience and maturity.

You need to remain patient and calm with the people you lead. Remember:

• More than ever this is the time that people need your leadership more.
• Visual awareness of a leader is crucial during uncertainty.
• When a leader is calm and collected, it gives the people confidence.

5)    Your best preparation.

How do you that?

• Communicate with the people you lead continually.
• Share things that are helpful to them.
• Give them your trustworthiness, especially during the time of uncertainty.
• Help them feel and know that they can always count and rely on you.
• Help them get some small wins. Nothing succeeds like success.
• Celebrate these wins with them.
• Get in the game with them which also means you make yourself available.

6)    Candor

Candor and compassion go hand-in-hand. You can’t expect people to change or grow if you are holding critical information, that they need to foster that growth. Former CEO of GE and author of the book Winning, Jack Welch calls, “lack of candor the biggest duty little secret in business.” This statement is also true in leadership.

Being candid doesn’t mean you need to be unkind, mean spirited, and inconsiderate. Here are some benefits of leading with candor:

It increases credibility and confidence in the leader.

• It helps calm the anxiety and lower the stress of the people during uncertainty.
• It helps the leader and the people be better prepared for the unknown.
• It can bring more unity.
• It facilitates open communication and helps get to resolution faster.
• It increases awareness and encourages people to take initiative.
• It creates an atmosphere for greater engagement and ownership.

“Everything rises and falls on leadership” (John C. Maxwell). This is more so during a crisis. Crisis make compassionate leaders stronger, because they care about their people.

Illens Dort is a speaker, trainer, coach and member of The John Maxwell Team.

Author: Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart