On International Woman's Day

Emma Watson, in addressing the UN on gender and equality said, “How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?”

We are fortunate to live in a time when, in most of the world, discrimination on the basis of gender is, at the very least, frowned on.   Recent research by McKinsey, on the performance of listed entities is providing demonstrable evidence of the benefits of mixed gender boards, and show this effect to be true across many different cultures and economies.  As with all forms of discrimination, we still have a long road to travel before we can comfortably say that all men and women feel welcome to the table to engage on all topics, but we have the openness to realise a unique opportunity to build on the unique and often complementary leadership styles that woman bring to any given situation.  

So this International Woman's Day, let us celebrate the potential and contribution of the women who are all around us in our homes, organisations and everyday life.  

Lighthouses and Lanterns

The Chinese have a saying about "Crossing the river by feeling the stones under your feet" (摸着石头过河).  It is not surprising that the sense of uncertainty that this describes scares most people.  You cannot see what lies ahead and your entire world knowledge narrows to the sensation of your feet and toes. 

As a leader in times of change we have two responsibilities, firstly to provide a vision of where to go,  a lighthouse if you will, that stands on the horizon and beckons to our people.  And while the air is clear that works well, but sometimes the fog settles in and while we still can see the diffuse glow on the horizon we can't see where to walk.  When that happens we can either let our people suffer the dips and turns of fate as they feel their way across  the river or we can be the lantern that shines and show them just that little bit further along the way.

 

Its hard to be the lantern though when you are only just feeling the stones yourself, but that is what you signed up for when you took up the challenge of being the leader.  And for all of us, at times we will stumble and fall and need someone else to bend and pick us up and help us relight out lanterns when we loose our way.  That's not a weakness but simply a good application of a little situational leadership

Don't be afraid to seek out that help when your can't see your way, and remember that however dark the night gets or how thick the fog is, the lighthouse is still there shining - it might just be a little hard to see at the moment.

Leading in Crisis

Situational leadership dictates that you should employ the appropriate leadership style (or leader) for each context and group.

But in an emergency we all tend to fall back on our natural leadership style. You know, the one that we all have, like a favourite coat that we really shouldn't wear in public anymore.

So what do people you lead want in a crisis? They want to know you are there for them and that you have their backs.  Your team needs to understand that the solution is more important to you than finding a scapegoat to blame for the crisis. 

They need to understand that you will work with them to achieve the solution and take on any external pressure to shield them.  More than anything they need to believe that no matter how bad the storm.is that you see a way forward.  When they see you loose your way then they start to panic.

So how to acheive this?

1. Communicate the infomation you have about the situation clearly to them.

After all, anything you understand is far less scary than the unknown.

2. Have a plan and let your team understand the plan.

If they see a steady hand at the tiller they will be more.confident and trust you.   If you need to break down and rave about the situation do it elsewhere away from.the team.  And always have a plan b, c and d.  Only the very  simplest problems don't have unseen complications. Be ready for them when they arise.  And if you only see one choice you have blinded yourself to at least two others namely doing nothing and going crazy, and if you missed those what other options are there that you haven't seen?

3.  Never ever lie.

The only real currency you have in any crisis situation is your team's trust.  When you lie, even with the best of intentions, you undermine your credibility and everything further you say will be suspect.

4. Share the ups and downs

Keep the team abreast of the successes and setbacks in resolving the issue.  The openness adds to your credibility and the team may offer solutions you didn't see.

5.   Accept that you cannot solve all the worlds problems

Be open to the fact that some issues are bigger than you or your team.  Don't be afraid to seek support or input either from your team or from the right outsiders.

Passionate leadership

With my recent run in with a burst appendix and subsequent septicaemia I was given a front row (bed) seat to observe teams and leadership in action. Almost to a person the nursing staff, despite poor salaries, are dedicated trainees and professionals who really care about the treatment they give their patients. But one thing become glaringly apparent; two of the head ward sisters made a point of going to speak to every patient every day to monitor mood and progress. These same sisters were not only window dressing but also available to coach and train and up skill and motivate their teams.

By comparison one of the glaring counter examples was a sister who I only saw once when she came in to dismissively tell the trainee nurse how she had botched a dressing. Her offence in this was compounded in that it was done In front of me, the patient, having previously refused to come coach the trainee in how to do the job despite being requested to do so

For anyone who has ever had an infected wound irrigated and packed can tell you if done correctly it is uncomfortable and if done wrong the pain will have you climbing the walls. And the difference between these lies predominantly in the confidence of the person performing the procedure and to much lesser extent their skills.

So what's the leadership lesson? Do you imperiously dictate instructions to people who are nervous and out of their depth in your organisation and then further undermine them by critiquing that work in from of their client? Or do you monitor the pulse of your organisation and step in, not to take over, but to support your team when they need it, thereby building confidence and comfort in asking for help.

I believe that we all need to step off our podiums to work with our teams instead of working off flawed assumptions of skillsets and competence and then blaming those who never had a chance in the first place. Otherwise we risk stifling ourselves and our teams potential for success in the rarified atmosphere of the ivory tower.