OFTEN, LEADERS ARE NOT sure how to balance soft leadership skills such as trust and communication with the more hard line leadership approaches (read: retrenchments, realignments, cost cutting) during tough times. Research indicates that the greater the stress an organiation is facing, the more important a leader’s soft-skills, especially communication skills become. Research has found that there are four important characteristics associated with leaders of the subcontinent, who were most successful in leading their organizations through transitions:
Make Relationships a Priority:
Especially in the subcontinent, companies are about people and relationships. Leaders cannot afford to become cynical or negative during times of turmoil. They cannot remain insensitive to employee needs or be seen as inaccessible. They are expected to be caring and empathetic, giving importance to relationships even during tough times.
Maintain Constant Communication:
During tough times, people are more vulnerable and hence ensuring a constant flow of communication is a must. The need for information is so great that when people do not get it, they would invent it; the void gets filled with media speculation, rumours and inaccuracies. Hence, leaders need to remain sensitive to their people’s needs and need to focus on providing them with up-to-date news about their company and plans.
Keep People Reassured:
Leaders can actually do a great deal to keep the company on its feet, just by reassuring their people. People are normally distracted and threatened during bad times - they keep imagining the worst, and gentle reassurances about the long term vision and how they would tide over the crisis can go a long way in channelising energies and stimulating performances.
Make People a Part of the Solution:
Catch-22 gets to work during recession times. If people are not constantly occupied, they would give in to rumour mills. At the same time, it is very easy for people to be without work. During times like these, leaders create work and in turn excitement for their people, by making them part of the solution. This helps them feel a sense of control and security. A good example is Reliance Industries during 1989, when their Patalganga refinery was completely submerged in the flash floods. Even as the managers of Du Pont declared that it is virtually impossible to get the project on track in time, Dhirubhai Ambani knew that nothing was impossible if his employees put their hearts and minds in to it. As the foreign consultants looked on, every single employee worked round the clock, sweeping the floor, dismantling the machines and cleaning them, restoring the refinery back to shape in less than three weeks.
LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAY:
Use communication skills — constant, gentle, reassuring and that which puts your people at the centre of action — to tide over tough times.
Make Relationships a Priority:
Especially in the subcontinent, companies are about people and relationships. Leaders cannot afford to become cynical or negative during times of turmoil. They cannot remain insensitive to employee needs or be seen as inaccessible. They are expected to be caring and empathetic, giving importance to relationships even during tough times.
Maintain Constant Communication:
During tough times, people are more vulnerable and hence ensuring a constant flow of communication is a must. The need for information is so great that when people do not get it, they would invent it; the void gets filled with media speculation, rumours and inaccuracies. Hence, leaders need to remain sensitive to their people’s needs and need to focus on providing them with up-to-date news about their company and plans.
Keep People Reassured:
Leaders can actually do a great deal to keep the company on its feet, just by reassuring their people. People are normally distracted and threatened during bad times - they keep imagining the worst, and gentle reassurances about the long term vision and how they would tide over the crisis can go a long way in channelising energies and stimulating performances.
Make People a Part of the Solution:
Catch-22 gets to work during recession times. If people are not constantly occupied, they would give in to rumour mills. At the same time, it is very easy for people to be without work. During times like these, leaders create work and in turn excitement for their people, by making them part of the solution. This helps them feel a sense of control and security. A good example is Reliance Industries during 1989, when their Patalganga refinery was completely submerged in the flash floods. Even as the managers of Du Pont declared that it is virtually impossible to get the project on track in time, Dhirubhai Ambani knew that nothing was impossible if his employees put their hearts and minds in to it. As the foreign consultants looked on, every single employee worked round the clock, sweeping the floor, dismantling the machines and cleaning them, restoring the refinery back to shape in less than three weeks.
LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAY:
Use communication skills — constant, gentle, reassuring and that which puts your people at the centre of action — to tide over tough times.
