Simple Advice for the New Leader: Make Your Mark in Times of Uncertainty

In 20 years of leadership, I've learned a ton about people and mindset. Even without an education in psychology, if you watch people long enough, they become predictable. Today's topic comes from two decades of observing how people handle change and uncertainty. They hate it. Uncertainty creates an environment of chaos, frustration and confusion. But what a great environment for someone who can think and act differently to stand out. So how do you, as an emerging leader, make your mark in times of change?

Before we get to the how-to list, here are a couple of truths about change you should embrace:

People don't really hate change - they hate when change happens to them. We bring about change ourselves all the time. We move to a new house, buy a new car, change a diet or fitness routine, or change who we associate with. These are changes people bring about themselves. It's when change happens to us that we handle it differently, because these situations add uncertainty and remove control.

Without uncertainty, we don't need leaders - chew on that statement for a minute, then read it over and over again. I had a mentor tell me that several years ago and I latched on to it. If everything was predictable, we wouldn't need leaders. Anyone can perform tasks. It takes leaders to innovate, inspire action, manage uncertainty and provide clarity through changing conditions. So early on, I knew if I wanted to stand out, I had to get really good at these things. To boil it down to the simplest of thoughts, change is what makes your job as a leader necessary, and what gives you the opportunity to add value.

These two truths will put you in the right mindset as you approach change. So, now you find yourself in the midst of a changing environment. The steps below are for you, right now (note: I have a future article that will help you decide when it's right to bring on a change that no one else is thinking about).

1. When making decisions, go back to the core values: Be flexible on the "how" during change, but stay focused on the "why". I've heard many great leaders say to marry the mission but date the model. This means how you go about something can change but where you're heading, and why, doesn't. Core values are the guardrails for decisions made in the organization. When change is happening, stay focused on your organization's mission and keep the core values close. When forced to make tough decisions in times of change, use the core values as a filter. A good decision, made with the core values and mission in mind, will benefit the organization, and ultimately everyone on the team. Communicate this to the team during the process and you'll have a better chance of getting them to buy into the change and join in the solution.
2. Be solution-minded: When I'm leading a team through change, the last people I want involved in the effort are the ones always thinking about why ideas won't work. They are pushing against you from the start. Get them to agree to stay positive or get them out of the way. Hint: most people default to thinking about the roadblocks first, but for the right people it will only take a nudge from you to get them pushing in the same direction. Remember, the solution is going to benefit everyone on the team. For an additional resource on being a problem solver, read this.
3. Provide clarity: You have your decisions made, and the group is pushing together toward a solution. Something you'll discover at this point in the process is this: there is still uncertainty. You don't know the outcome yet. And to put minds at ease, you'll need to remind your team often that "we made a solid decision based on good values, and we believe it's the best decision we could have made". Most importantly, you'll need to provide real clarity on the next steps. In my many leadership roles, I can't even count how many times I've told my team(s) "I don't know what the ultimate outcome will be but I do know this is what we're going to do next". If they trust you as a leader, and they trust the decisions made by your organization's leadership, that will give them enough assurance to keep on plugging away.
4. Learn from the experience: The best part of a story or movie is almost always after the conflict. I tell our team that all the time. "We'll learn something from this, and we'll be a better team after it." Make sure to take the time shortly after the dust settles to evaluate the original reason the change happened, your decision-making throughout the change, and what the team can learn going forward. It's also a perfect time to publicly praise someone who you believe stood out in the process. If someone fell short, take an opportunity one-on-one to let them know what they could have done better to meet your expectations.

Hit each of these steps as you navigate a changing environment and you'll earn greater respect and trust from your leader(s), stand out among your peers, and prove yourself worthy of following by those you will influence.