5 Leadership Tips for 2024 - Part 1 - Remaining Calm

As we usher in a new year and embrace fresh challenges, it's crucial for leaders to stay ahead of the curve. Over my next few newsletters, I will delve into the five essential leadership tips that will set the stage for success in 2024 and beyond. Rather than squeeze all 5 tips into one newsletter, and in the interest of keeping these newsletters short, I will spend sufficient time on each allowing you to reflect prior to moving onto the next.

These tips will cover the following subjects:

Part 1.      Remaining Calm

Part 2.       Consistently Positive

Part 3.       Planning for Failure

Part 4.       Embracing Change

Part 5.       Getting Distracted

These tips are not just theoretical concepts but practical strategies that can be implemented right away to navigate the evolving landscape of leadership. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, you'll find valuable insights to elevate your leadership game.

Remaining Calm

It’s so easy for a leadership development consultant to say to others that they should remain calm. I understand that, and I understand how difficult it can be. However, remaining calm as a leader is so important as it contributes to effective leadership and fosters a positive work environment. When confronted with a crisis, everyone in a business looks to their leader to be a calming influence, a steady ship and a guiding light through the chaos. And if you’re the person in that role, you will need to know how to control yourself, before attempting to control any situation.

In the airline business, they will always tell you in the event of a loss of cabin pressure to attend to your mask first before attending to those in your care. As an example, imagine whilst on a flight you experience some turbulence. For me, I usually look towards the air steward…if he/she is still serving drinks and is remaining calm, so do I.

If however, he/she reacts like this...

...imagine the reaction of the passengers. This is the same for your team!

Why do leaders panic?

So, let’s look at some of the reasons why leaders may panic, and then discuss ways of managing these.

• Crisis Management
• Uncertainty and Ambiguity
• Fear of Failure
• Overwhelming Workload
• Team and Personnel Issues

Crisis Management:

Problem: When leaders are confronted with unexpected crises, they may panic due to the high-stakes nature of the situation. The pressure to make quick and effective decisions can be overwhelming.

Tips: It’s so important to slow everything down. I refer to this as the ‘ripcord moment’. For those of you who have ever experienced skydiving, the moment you pull the ripcord (the cord that opens the parachute), your speed dramatically reduces from 120mph, to 20mph within a matter of seconds. Any decisions made prior to the ripcord pull whilst at such velocity can have a significant impact on the outcome. Decisions made post ripcord pull however have less impact.

Slowing everything down in your mind will allow you the time to consider all your options and will help you make better decisions.

Find a way to slow yourself down and try not to get pushed into making reactive decisions. In my experience, a reactive decision has rarely resulted in a positive outcome.

Oh, and we all don’t have to jump out of a plane for this…. we’re all different and all have different ways to find our ripcord moment. Find yours!

Uncertainty and Ambiguity:

Problem: Leaders often operate in complex and rapidly changing environments. When they lack clear information or face uncertainty about the future, they may panic as they struggle to develop strategies and plans to navigate the unknown.

Tips: It’s so important to have all the information you need. A main reason for leaders not being able to remain calm is because they are not provided with the necessary information, and they worry about making the wrong decisions. All levels of leadership need to ensure they don’t hold back relevant information from their teams. Obviously, nobody is expected to breach an ‘official secrets act’, of which there sometimes seems to be too many in some businesses, but transparency and honesty is crucial.

“Perhaps we should have kept them in the loop”, is a common trend when performing crisis management analysis. Every time I hear this in a senior leadership meeting while discussing the impact of a recent crisis, internally I feel like the air steward in the picture above, however externally, I usually reply “I think that’s a great learning that we should all remember in the future”. Is it remembered? You probably know that answer!

However, that doesn’t mean that those behaviours should filter past you.

Simon Sinek once said, “Be the leader you wished you had, not the leader you have”

In other words, if you are suffering from poor leadership above you, it’s your responsibility to you, and your team, to break the cycle. Somebody has to, so why shouldn’t it be you?

Fear of Failure:

Problem: Many leaders feel a significant burden of responsibility for the success of their organisation or team. The fear of failure, including the potential consequences for their career and reputation, can lead to panic, especially when they encounter setbacks or obstacles.

Tips: Preventing the fear of failure is a critical aspect of effective leadership. While it's natural to have some concerns about failure, leaders can take proactive steps to manage and reduce this fear.

Here are some strategies:

Develop a Growth Mindset: Embrace a growth mindset, which means seeing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth rather than as failures. Encourage yourself to view mistakes as stepping stones to improvement rather than as indicators of personal inadequacy.

Set Realistic Expectations: Recognise that no one is perfect, and failure is a part of life. Set realistic and achievable goals and understand that setbacks are normal in any leadership role. Avoid setting impossibly high standards for yourself and ensure you manage the expectations of those above you. An example of this is within the financial services industry. If you were to ask anyone working within this industry, they would tell you the most important times of the year are month end, quarter end and year end…and of course, I would tend to disagree. In my experience, the most important times of the year are when you, as a leader, negotiate these goals and targets. If the business has unrealistic expectations of you at the start of the month/quarter/year, how will you and your team achieve them? And most importantly, how will the business achieve them? If your targets/goals are created by an accountant…beware! Accountants believe that people will continue to run for a bus even when the bus is too far away to be caught. Generally, people will stop running and wait for the next bus. Always keep the bus within a ‘catchable’ range!

(Accountants, please accept apologies for my scathing remarks....they're not meant for you personally....you know you're one of the good ones, it's just all the others!)

Break Goals into Smaller Steps: Large, daunting goals can increase the fear of failure. Break them down into smaller, more manageable steps. Achieving these smaller milestones can boost your confidence and reduce anxiety.

Seek Feedback and Support: Foster an environment where feedback is welcomed and encouraged. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement and mitigate the fear of failure. Additionally, seek support from mentors, colleagues, or a coach who can provide guidance and perspective.

Embrace Resilience: Develop resilience by building your ability to bounce back from setbacks. This includes cultivating emotional intelligence, coping skills, and stress management techniques.

Celebrate Successes, Big and Small: Acknowledge and celebrate achievements, no matter how small. You can't be expected to be responsible for the failures and not celebrate the successes. This can help boost your confidence and reinforce positive behaviours.

Remember that the fear of failure is a common human experience, and even the most successful leaders have faced setbacks. By implementing these strategies, you can reduce the fear of failure and become a more resilient and effective leader.

Overwhelming Workload:

Leadership roles often come with heavy workloads, long hours, and competing priorities. When leaders feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities and struggle to balance their personal and professional lives, they may experience panic due to stress and burnout.

Tips: Preventing an overwhelming workload is essential for maintaining a leader's well-being and effectiveness.

Here are strategies that leaders can employ to manage their workload more effectively:

Prioritize Tasks: Ensure you have clear guidance on the prioritisation of your tasks, so they align with the business. Spending time prioritising tasks that aren’t in sync with the business is a common problem, and usually contributed to lack of communication. Focus on agreed high-priority tasks and delegate or eliminate lower-priority ones when possible.

Delegate Responsibility: Delegate tasks and responsibilities to team members who have the skills and capacity to handle them. Trust your team and empower them to take ownership of their work. Effective delegation not only lightens your load but also develops your team's skills and confidence. Always be careful whilst trying to reduce your overwhelming workload that you don’t overwhelm others.

Time Management: Implement time management techniques such as setting clear goals, creating to-do lists, and using time-blocking to allocate specific time slots for different tasks.

Avoid multitasking, as it can decrease productivity and increase stress. I understand this is a broad statement and being flexible is one thing, but doing a hundred things a once is another.

Learn to Say No: Sometimes one of the most difficult things to do. Recognise your limits and be willing to decline additional work or commitments when you are already stretched thin. Politely but firmly communicate your capacity and priorities.

Avoid Micromanagement: This should not need to be said, but unfortunately it does. Trust your team members to carry out their tasks without constant supervision. Micromanagement can increase your workload and decrease team morale. Occasionally there can be a time for micromanagement and this is a part of your ‘leadership toolkit’. Some people require close management, but the vast majority do not.

If you do not empower your people and feel you need to micromanage them, for whatever reason you tell yourself, that’s all on you. You’ve either hired the wrong people, or you’ve failed to develop and train them properly, or you’ve not provided the support for them.

As a leadership, always point the finger at yourself first and take ownership. If you think your people aren’t good enough…. that’s always, always, always your fault. Now, find a way to fix it!

Continuous Learning: Invest in your personal development to improve your skills and efficiency. Learn about new tools, technologies, and strategies that can help you streamline tasks and manage your workload more effectively.

Remember that an overwhelming workload can negatively affect your productivity, decision-making, and overall well-being. Effective workload management not only benefits you but also contributes to better leadership and team performance.

Team and Personnel Issues:

Dealing with interpersonal conflicts, difficult team members, or issues related to employee performance can be challenging for leaders. When these problems escalate or become persistent, leaders may panic as they try to find effective solutions to maintain team cohesion and productivity.

Preventing team and personnel issues is crucial for maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. While it's impossible to eliminate all challenges, leaders can take proactive steps to mitigate and prevent these issues.

Here are some strategies:

Hiring and Onboarding: Start by hiring the right people for your team. A thorough recruitment process that assesses not only skills, but also cultural fit and values alignment can reduce the likelihood of future conflicts.

Clear Expectations: Establish clear expectations from the beginning. Ensure that team members understand their roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations. Provide written job descriptions and conduct regular performance reviews.

Effective Communication: Foster open and transparent communication within the team. Encourage team members to voice their concerns, share feedback, and communicate their needs. Be an active listener and address issues promptly.

Lead by Example: Set a positive example through your behaviour and attitude. Demonstrate respect, empathy, and professionalism in your interactions with team members. Your behaviour will influence the workplace culture.

Ethical Leadership: Uphold high ethical standards and values. Lead with integrity and ensure that ethical behaviour is expected and rewarded within the team.

Mentorship and Coaching: Offer mentorship and coaching to team members who may need extra support. Developing their skills and providing guidance can prevent performance issues.

Documentation: Maintain clear records of team members' performance, behavior, and any disciplinary actions taken. Documentation can be crucial in addressing personnel issues if they persist.

In Part 2 of this series of '5 Leadership Tips for 2024' newsletters, we will look at how leaders can remain consistently positive.

In today's rapidly changing and often challenging business landscape, effective leadership extends far beyond just making tough decisions or setting strategic goals. It's about inspiring, motivating, and nurturing your team to achieve their best, even in the face of adversity. One of the most impactful ways to do this is by being consistently positive.

Leaders who exude positivity create an environment where innovation thrives, collaboration flourishes, and employees feel empowered to reach their full potential. In the next newsletter, we'll explore the compelling reasons why maintaining a consistently positive attitude is not just a leadership nicety, but a necessity.

Your thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. Feel free to share your own insights and experiences in the comments section. Together, we can shape the future of leadership in 2024 and beyond.