“Leaders must reclaim the very thing our culture has so casually given away: Time to think together and learn from our experiences. Without question this is the most critical act of leadership.”
Margaret Wheatley[1]
Margaret Wheatley wrote that in 2017. Well, now more than ever eh!? … we need leaders who will lead – not retreat, who will bring people together, create the conditions for people to have the conversations that matter, to innovate, and respond to the significant challenges of coronavirus.
People want to be seen and heard, they want to know you care about them. And they want to do good work! If you want buy-in, give people the opportunity to come together and to contribute to the decision-making on issues that effect them.
People also want –
A clear focus
Does everyone at your organisation have a shared understanding of the priorities? And the key elements of strategy? A level of urgency is also required here. You can’t wait for perfect information before setting strategy. Priorities will shift and mistakes will be made – regular reviews will be critical.
Authenticity
People also want to see authenticity from their leader – someone who is fully present, connected to their staff and faithful to who they really are. Modelling authenticity and openness encourage it in others, gets buy-in, enabling the better exchange of information and therefore better decision-making.
Transparency and regular updates
How available is information to people in your organisation? Do people have the critical information they need to respond to new challenges and priorities? Providing clear and accurate communication about what you know fosters trust and reduces uncertainty. People need regular and candid updates of what is unfolding – and the impact of these events on the business.
[1] Wheatley, M. (2017) Who Do You Choose To Be? An Invitation To The Nobility of Leadership.
Available online at https://margaretwheatley.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Margaret-Wheatley-2017-Leader_to_Leader.pdf