Life & Leadership

Leadership in Uncertain times

No one seems to know what's going happen next, stressful? Yes.

However, if you are a leader and don't know what's going to happen next and  are expected to give directions to people; stressful ? You bet !!

Before we get to the leaders, what do you think happens to all of us when we face uncertainty? 

• Uncertainty causes fear
• The focus shifts from the Organization / community to Personal safety & security 
• Risk Aversion & low appetite for decisions unless things are clear 
• Stress 
• And most crucial, inability to see the big picture & a focus on smaller & smaller issues 

I think the two most critical ones are - Risk Aversion and Inability to see the big picture.

Most leaders see this. And this places added pressure on them to address the issue.

Given uncertain situations, Leaders tend to face different challenges

• Increased pressure to give decisions - when they are not sure themselves
• Clarify & communicate about the future 
• But, most crucial of all, they face their own Emotional leadership challenges of choosing what do they believe in.  

While all the 3 are vital in this, I would focus on the issue of Emotional Leadership.  This aspect is least understood, least articulated & arguably has maximum impact on Leadership performance.

  And this facet is the most powerful lever to understand the most critical & often hidden aspect of leadership. Emotional Leadership is the interplay of Emotional choice, Belief & Convictions and performance pressure. It is also quite simply, what happens in your mind when you have a difficult situation & are expected to do something about it.

Most leaders are expected to look strong, sure & decisive. Damn tough thing to do when you don't have a clue which way the world & your organization is headed. Welcome to the world of Emotional Leadership !!

Dealing with this issue is tough & there is no silver bullet. In my experience, a few things that work are:

• Talk to people about the issues that you are seeking to address
• If you have a core group of friends, advisers - seek their counsel & openly discuss your confusion & the lack of clear milestones around which to take decisions. This is best done with someone outside the immediate organization.
• Don't rush to decide - think & pause.  
• Articulate your point of view, talk a lot & tell people why you are taking the  decisions 
• Be flexible. 

However, the most important point is to realize, accept & e ok with the fact that you will not have all the answers. And its ok to be so.

  

 

Future trends in Talent Management - Generation Dynamics

  Talent mangement will suddenly raise its head like a Phoenix from the smouldering ashes of the Recession & we will all sit up and take notice. The lucky ones who are still hiring will cherry pick the best talent. Seems like a good time time to gaze into the crystal ball and look at the future of Talent Magement.

The first big trend we will see is the impact of Demographics &  Generation dynamics. 

Most of  the Talent processes have been designed by and for the Baby Boomer generation (Born between 1946 - 64) - a generation that has seen their parents struggle, they value  This generation arguably provides the fundamental pillar of Leadership across all Organizations and even countries. They have shaped the concepts, processes & practices of current mangement, including Talent mangement.

Cut to the current & future  entrants into the organization. The Gen Y, also called Gen M (Mobile?)?), are people born after 1980, in their 20s. They are currently the world’s largest consumer group & are shaping the world’s thinking in very a definite, subtle manner.

Their key characteristics –

Focused on results, not time …Hmmm, this is the time I begin thinking about Virtual offices, Flexi time & in fact, death of time as the unit of employment.  How are  our current organizations prepared to deal with this?

Freedom of Choice is a big deal. In fact, more Gen Ys prefer to be Self Employed than any other generation. If this were true, how will you attract the best talent to your team. They may be available for employment at all.

Work is secondary, its just one of the many priorities this generation manages to juggle with the same ease they juggle several phones & multiple remote controls. This is anathema to the current employment “system” that looks at full –time employment as the only effective way to manage talent. The Gen Y is likely to “employment” as a series of Projects rather than a series of annual objectives for appraisal. Now that’s something to manage, isn’t it.

Belonging, Values & Fun – may seem un-connected as concepts. However, they are quite seamless for the Gen Y. Affiliation to groups that individuals relate to, values like integrity, Green-ness .. And not to miss the fun piece

Given all these, very few organizations seem ready to manage these changes.