Struggles Strengthen Your Leadership

Struggles Strengthen Your Leadership

Posted on 24. Sep, 2011 by in 1 Leadership, Change In Action, People & Change

With many companies sitting on cash, cutbacks, layoffs and canceled projects continue to challenge leaders to create an inspiring work environment and provide meaningful work for their employees.

Today’s business environment is volatile, ambiguous, stressful. Without doubt, these are times that test a leader’s character.  

  • “How do I raise spirits in a low morale environment?”
  • “Can I bare to share more dismal news about employee layoffs? Cuts to budgets?”
  • “How do I explain that employees won’t receive salary increases while senior managers receive bonuses?”

The realities create struggles for the leader who sees the exhaustion, frustration, anger in their employees. Up against what the company wants and the needs of employees, managers today have added complexity in already demanding work.

As trite as it may seem, the realities can’t be met with defeat. Yes it is tough, even awkward. Managers at all levels have a choice to make: accept the mood in their company or influence what they can with their teams.

These times push us to confront the uncharted depths of our capacity to lead. The mindful leader, which you are, will choose to confront the exhaustion, frustration, anger despite not knowing what to do.

Put aside the rote-response of “corporate speak” and have real conversations about what’s going on and how employees’ lives are influenced by work, by the economy.

By not turning away from the struggle of what to do, the limitations of your leadership know-how do become clearer. You have to lean into it, though. New insights emerge. It’s uncanny, but true.

There’s a metaphor about a good storm that seems fitting. It takes a good storm to clean things out. We’re in a helluva storm right now. All storms pass. And they come again. It’s how you ride it out that can make the difference. Perhaps prepare you for the next one.

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3 Responses to “Struggles Strengthen Your Leadership”

  1. Suchitra Mishra

    24. Sep, 2011

    Hello Shawn,

    Your posts never fail to touch a chord and that is exactly what all leaders need to do today – Touch a chord with people who depend on them for a living – connect at all levels, intellectual and emotional. Not just talk but listen and empathize. A kind word and the assurance that we are all in this together does wonders for morale. People want to be lead and not just managed. Leaders need to tap into the energy of their followers – all storms can be survived then.
    Regards,
    Suchitra
    twitter : @suchimishra

    Reply to this comment

    • Shawn Murphy

      24. Sep, 2011

      Suchitra,
      What strikes me about the storm metaphor is that we come out of them stronger when we turn to those in our life – personally or professionally. Some of us have to resist the “I’ll just keep my head down and keep to myself during this difficult time.” Professionally, storms carry a different stigma. That we are weak, perhaps ineffective if we need to turn to others for strength, support, or even seeking reassurance. In these uncertain times, we must band together. We don’t have to struggle through the hard times head bowed and alone.

      Shawn

      Reply to this comment

  2. Suchitra Mishra

    24. Sep, 2011

    Shawn,

    True that. I found a lovely quote on this topic and wanted to share with you :

    Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.
    Henry Ward Beecher

    Celebrate your success and stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover.

    Have a good weekend,
    Suchitra

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