How to Lead When Change is the Only Certainty

Sooner or later, unless you’re really lucky, it will happen to you. Your startup is hemorrhaging cash, and you don’t know if or when your next round of investment is going to come through. Your consultancy just lost its biggest client. Your firm is being acquired. Or perhaps a large-scale crisis is throwing your industry into upheaval. Whatever the case, sometimes in the course of your career, circumstances will arise that will create great uncertainty in your company’s future. As leaders, this is a real test of our mettle: How do you lead when you don’t know where you’re headed? And how do you answer the questions when those answers don’t exist?

Technology leaders like to me love (and perhaps love to over-use) the word “disruption.” But when you’re on the “disrupted” side of the equation, it’s not as fun. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked in two industries that have seen massive changes in the past few decades or so: The automotive industry and financial services. In both instances, things look very different today than they did from the time I was a kid, or even when I was beginning my career. And that’s had a direct impact on me, and the teams I lead.

Human beings are hard-wired to want to know what to expect, especially when it comes to something as integral to our lives as our careers and the financial security they bring. As leaders, it is incumbent upon us to help mitigate the impact of these uncertainties for the health and well-being of our teams and our organizations. Below, I’ve outlined a few key ways I’ve found effective in mitigating the negative impacts  these experiences can have on our people and our companies.

Embrace transparency

Share whatever you can, whenever you can. No one likes being in the dark, especially at work; according to Slack’s 2018 Future of Work study, 80% of workers want to know more about how decisions are being made by their employers. During times of uncertainty, this desire only amplifies. We all have a tendency (or at least some of us do) to fill in the gaps in our knowledge with worst-case scenarios. In truth, it’s often not that bad, and even if it is, just knowing can make it sting a little less.

You won’t always have the answers, of course. But communicating as transparently as you can, as early and often as you can, will go a long way in bringing some comfort and ideally, peace of mind, to your team.

Control what you can control

In uncertain times, especially for an employee with limited influence or decision-making power around the cause(s) of the uncertainty, it’s easy to feel powerless. This feeling isn’t entirely off base, of course: There could very well be a lot that’s out of your team’s--and even your--control. What I try to do, and what I encourage my team to do, is focus on those areas where we do have agency. For example, in a merger, you may not know what systems or people an acquirer will choose, but by showcasing your best capabilities and best talent, you create a magnetic attraction for an acquirer to consider those elements more strongly.

This also requires, of course, accepting those things that are simply out of their control as well, but by shifting focus onto the power and agency they do have, that task gets a lot easier.

Accept the fallout

When your business falls on tough or turbulent times, not everyone will stay to see it through. And that’s okay—everyone’s circumstances are different, and while some departures may sting, ultimately, it’s the choice of every at-will employee to make the choice that’s best for them. Try not to hold on to any anger or resentment; after all, you may cross paths with these colleagues again down the line in another capacity.

Instead, support your team’s individual needs while building resiliency into your business processes. Documenting key processes, investing in training where needed, and building redundancy wherever you can, will make for a much smoother transition when individuals do decide to leave.

Celebrate wins

When the future is unclear, it can be easy to fall into a mindset that your work doesn’t matter. It may be easy for us as leaders to see the value of maintaining a business-as-usual output at a company level, but for each individual contributor, that’s not always as apparent.

Assure your team that their work still matters—that it has value and impact on your company’s purpose—by celebrating wins, no matter how small. According to research from Gallup, this may even help with retention: Their data shows that employees who don’t feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they will quit within a year. Now, you don’t have to throw a party every time something goes right, but as a leader, keeping an eye out for opportunities to recognize successes will go a long way in keeping a sagging morale from sinking too low.  

Put your best foot forward

When you really don’t know which way something’s going to go, sometimes the best thing is to think about what comes next and what you can do now to position yourself well for success in the future. I encourage my team to ask themselves: What do I want my story to be when this is over? What can I do to rise to the occasion and live up to my own standards?

It can be difficult. But no matter what, it is always, always a good idea to find a way to put your best foot forward, whether for the sake of your continued employment and success in your current organization, or for another employer in the future.

The fact is, these difficult experiences, no matter how unpleasant, always present learning opportunities. I’m still learning, and I hope I never stop. For now, I’ll walk the walk with my team, putting the best possible foot forward and guiding my team to a future we can feel proud of.