Subject: Actions of a leader in difficult times
- Should a leader behave differently during hard times (such as a restructure, merger or financial challenges)?
- Are there additional things that they should be doing to reassure and motivate staff?
- Or should a leader be a good, consistent leader at all times?
Have your say about our list of leadership actions in difficult times and add your suggestions here.
This comment was last edited on Feb 12, 2010
I think being present is very important at all times. I once worked in a large charity. It was very rare to see the CEO on floors other than her own but it would have made a massive difference to the perception we had of her to actually see her. She was very present in regular all-staff emails (which she signed off rather than wrote) but was not very visible personally.
Surely it wouldn't have taken that much time out of a busy day to wonder round the building? Maybe she preferred being seen as remote or maybe she just didn't realise the difference it would make.
This comment was last edited on Feb 12, 2010
It's easy to feel rushed into responses with a sense that as a leader you should know the answers but a deep breath and more careful consideration can be better in the long run.
P.S. having looked back at the tips listed I would suggest that keeping cheerful in difficult times can be misinterpreted as a lack of empathy. There is certainly room for some well-placed humour though!
Great article from CharityComms about engaging staff and volunteers in an area of change. Says that good communication and being visible is the key.
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