Think Like a Leader
Tempus fugit. Time flies. From Virgil, around 29BC. Pertinent through the ages. Thinking like a leader is always thinking about the future. What it will look like for your business. Has there ever been a time when your business has changed so radically in such a short time? And probably in a very different way from just weeks ago, you are thinking about managing your time with very new priorities and approaches.
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Feel Like a Leader
Time flies. All the time. Some days may feel much faster than others but really they all pass at the same speed. And our feelings about the present time may overwhelm the need for us to reimagine the future and what it may look like. And understanding what the future will look like enables us to work backwards from there and build out a new strategy for the times ahead.
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Act Like a Leader
Time management is a much-hackneyed phrase. But for such a time as this trying to understand how to best use the time available and keep some sense of balance between work and personal life will be the mark of the successful leader. Thoughtful and considered planning is action too.
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The long running radio programme ‘In our time’ has the full archive available as podcasts. One of the most popular is about the Muses and their role in Greek mythology. While the number of Muses, their origin and their roles varied in different accounts and at different times, they were consistently linked with the nature of artistic inspiration.
This raised a question for philosophers then and since: was a creative person an empty vessel into which the Muses poured their gifts, at their will, or could that person do something to make inspiration flow? Creativity and innovation will be in higher demand than ever before so look back and learn.
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Leadership In The Time Of COVID-19 is the theme of this article from Forbes – always a reliable source of information and advice for leaders. Highly relevant – and timely.
'Right now, we really need sober, smart, values-driven, and focused leadership. Remember the old adage, “Crisis does not build character, it reveals it."
Eighteen months ago, my friend John Hillen and I published a book on leadership titled What Happens Now? The book’s core argument is that leaders, even (and especially) highly successful ones, must reinvent and change themselves or risk being outrun by their businesses. No matter how effective you were yesterday, you will find that today and tomorrow are likely to make new and different demands on you as a leader. If you fail to reinvent and adapt, you and your organization will stall and fail.
There’s no “playbook” for leadership when the stakes are high, and there’s certainly no playbook for what to do in the face of a 21st Century pandemic. We are all facing threats on multiple fronts at once: to self, family, employees, customers, suppliers and business partners, governmental and financial systems, and potentially our social fabric. Even the Dean of the Harvard Business School can only offer a few good insights for companies facing this new reality, but no silver-bullet solutions. Go to the full article for an-depth sources but here are their key points.
- First and foremost, educate yourself.
- Recognize as well that in business and economic terms, things are changing on a daily or even hourly basis.
- Anchor everything in what’s most important: the safety of everyone you’re responsible for.
- At the same time, build a clear plan for your organization.
- Leverage your team
- Over-invest in communication.
- Find new ways to create connections.
- Remember to be authentic
- Most of all, manage yourself.'
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The Muses were all female. Have a look at this clip that asks if female leadership is proving better in leading through Covid-19.
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The famous clock tower on the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street in Edinburgh has been a city landmark for generations. More than any other Scottish city the capital was a must-see global destination. With its festivals and events Edinburgh had a vibrancy that visitors loved.
So what lies ahead for tourism and all the related businesses? It is going to be a huge challenge to rebuild this – as it will be for many industries. But this is not building from scratch – the physical infrastructure is in place. Creativity and innovation can flourish once more.
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Crunch Time. How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most Rick Peterson and Judd Hoekstra Berrett-Koehler, 2017.
How you deal with pressure often determines if you are going to succeed or fail and here the authors explain how to turn fear and doubt into opportunity. Their philosophy uses “reframing,” the ability to look at a situation differently and avoid intimidation, and “chunking,” breaking daunting challenges down into smaller pieces.
Some of the highlights include:
- allow your “Conscious Thinker” to guide your thoughts and actions.
- maximum intensity can hinder performance; it’s better to “Try Easy.”
- your best is good enough; you don’t have to be perfect.
- focusing too much on long-term goals can be counterproductive.
- measure your success against your personal averages rather than your personal best.
- solid preparation enables you to succeed even when you don’t have your “A” game.
- overpreparation allows you to relax and perform instinctively in the most pressure-filled, adverse circumstances.
- “deliberate practice” is repetitive, demanding and often unpleasant.
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...without a little reflection, there is no Insight Added.
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
Leo Tolstoy
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Lead well
Graham and Lesley
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