3 non-negotiable keys for leading through challenging times

Leadership is afforded to certain people in very specific margins of their lives. Not because they’re lucky – nor because they read enough leadership material (though it helps these people continue to grow). But mostly because they are talented in that specific niche and continually practice the easiest principles (relentless execution of fundamentals). The greatest leaders I’ve known in my years, in business and in sport, have generally been people who didn’t even realize they were doing anything in particular that made them special. It was simply who they are.

There have been a few areas in my own life where I’ve had an opportunity to lead (along with many where I haven’t). One of the most rewarding among them was my time as a head wrestling coach. I was still very young myself at that time, but showed up with a few principles I believe allowed me to turn a program with a losing record and a poor team culture into a winner that operated like a family. Part of being able to do that was knowledge about what it takes to succeed in wrestling, but part of it was also lessons from my own father (a military leader), my wrestling coach (a great leader) and from former Iowa wrestling legend Dan Gable who I met back in the early 90s during my summer stays in Iowa City.

Many of us are leading teams through challenging times right now. Gable said "once you've wrestled, everything else in life is easy." It's a bit hyperbolic, but there is truth in the statement. Wrestling made me who I am. Leading wrestlers through seasons - each a microcosm of winning, losing, doubt, patience, sacrifice, persistence, confidence, joy, agony, and more - taught me a few things about leading a group of people through a challenge. Here are the 3 principles that come to mind immediately:

Example – As a coach I never asked my wrestlers to do anything I wasn’t willing or able to do myself. I pushed my kids hard. To the breaking point mentally and physically. I learned that the from my coach Frank Simpson and believe to this day that in most areas of life, being better conditioned than everyone else for showtime is the difference. My wrestlers may have hated me for the things I asked of them in the moment – if I hadn’t done those things along side of them. When they ran sprints I ran them too. When they wrestled “live” for conditioning I wrestled with them too, constantly pushing the pace. They saw me doing the things that made me successful as a wrestler years before and then emulated what they actually saw me doing – not just what I told them to do because I was in charge. Being in charge doesn't make you a leader. Hard work. Period. Show them how. Is your team observing you working hard or just pulling the strings?

Influence – I had very set in place rules for my kids. Don’t swear, don’t be late, don’t disrespect your teachers, don’t bully, don’t disrespect your female classmates, don’t let me hear of you smoking, drinking, or being in the wrong place with people who are. Those were non-negotiable. And then there were a few that were a little more flexible. I told the boys the importance of each of those rules, not only in their teenage lives, but in my life personally and in their lives in the future. Wrestling doesn’t last forever, but good character does. These weren't things I was able to teach them on the mat. They had to observe how I treated people and conducted myself. I hope my influence in those areas has stuck with my kids all these years later. What would your team say about your character and how you treat people inside and outside of your organization?

Empathy – The honor that comes with leading is also the hard part. When I was working with teenage boys there was at least one boy each day who would linger around my office after practice. “Coach, can I talk to you?” I listened to a lot of problems, ranging from divorcing parents, to girlfriend issues, to academic struggles, to bullying. I was the same coach who pushed them to exhaustion day in and day out, yelled at them to be stronger and be better – yet every day at least one kid per day would need me to be an empathetic ear, a father figure, or someone they could trust. I earned their respect by listening, by not judging their tears in a private setting. I offered help where I could provide it. Usually, just being available was enough. This made made us a family and a team – not just a collection of individuals with our own agendas. Are you available to the human beings on your team - especially now in the midst of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty?

You may be wondering, what does coaching wrestling have to do with business leadership? Everything. Good leaders I’ve known or met have impacted my life via example, influence, and being empathetic to the fact that we’re both just human. The good business leaders I’ve known have done the same. Add these principles to subject matter knowledge and you’ll succeed as a leader.

These principles are particularly important right now - in the midst of a challenge.

As a leader you can push your team to be better. To get the best of themselves. But only if you’re willing to do it yourself and show them how. To set expectations and explain why and live it out yourself. You’ll only get the best from your team if you’re willing to be human, available, and willing to help.

Chad Nikazy is Executive Vice President of Business Development for Provisions Group, a Franklin TN based IT consulting, project delivery, and recruiting firm . He resides south of Nashville with his wife and 3 children where he consults with business leaders and shuttles kids between practices of all kinds. Reach out and let's talk about your career or business challenges at chad@provisionsgroup.com