Although it’s never easy to manage people through challenging times, adversity can bring out the best in people. Managers must possess key traits to lead effectively despite continued uncertainty. Here are 7 characteristics that can help you” keep calm and carry on”:
- Mindfulness. You’ll be better able to support your team if you take the time to process your own emotions. Acknowledge and evaluate your thoughts and feelings about stressful events before choosing the best response.
- Honesty. Pretending that everything is fine when it is not can cause your team to lose trust in you. Approach challenges head-on, admitting uncertainty and focusing on how the team can respond positively.
- Caring. People have been through a lot over the past few years. Interact with your team one-on-one and show compassion for what they are going through. Showing empathy will help build a foundation of trust that will allow you to be a more effective leader.
- Ethics. Great leaders hold themselves to the highest standards of their organization and model ethical behavior-even during challenging times.
- Communication. Effective managers communicate clearly, honestly, and transparently, particularly when the information relates to rapid change. Leaders must listen and talk, keeping communication flowing both ways.
- Flexibility. During continuous change, leaders and managers alike must be able to pivot to attend to emerging problems and quickly change strategies to get better results.
- Vision. Leaders must understand the direction of the organization and be able to communicate it to all team members, helping them feel grounded in a shared purpose.
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