LEADING IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR

Leaders must unite the people, writes Linus Okorie

We share a common desire to live meaningful lives and for our families, businesses, and communities to be healthy and to prosper.

Yet, in times of uncertainty, it’s easy to slip into fear and react instead of considering a calm response of wisdom. The whole country is filled with fear and insecurity. In times of uncertainty, followers seek security, assurance and leaders who will give them hope.

If there is ever a time in our history that our families, businesses, communities, states and country need solid and strong leadership, it is now. Regardless of our present situation, the best course of action for moving our life and work forward is to see through any fears that would obscure our goals. Leaders who are unable to steer their organisations through times of change have faced ruin or challenging situations.

Leaders set the tone and the climate for the organization, its teams, and constituents. Leaders in the real sense of the word are dealers in hope. During the 2004 Democratic convention in United States of America, an unknown gentleman called Barack Obama was asked to deliver the key note speech on that night. He mounted the stage and spoke so powerfully, offering the American people hope and said, “Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!” At this time in our national life, we need leaders who are not divisive but leaders who exude hope by their verbal and non-verbal communication.

How are leaders expected to lead in uncertain times?

Leaders must show maturity. Self-awareness and self-management is very key for leaders who want to lead in uncertain times.  It is imperative for leaders to know their strengths, weaknesses, blind spots, fears, delights, stressors, energizers and to manage themselves accordingly. They must identify, face, accept, and deal with their own fears and anxieties in order to help others do the same.

When leaders lead from a place of future orientation – toward the achievement of mutually beneficial goals – they grow healthy, dynamic, and capable of inspiring others to do the same.

Leaders must show versatility. Acknowledging biases, preferred styles and, yet, being flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions. It is imperative for leaders to develop a wide range of complementary skills. What has worked in the past for leaders may not work right now. If leaders are naturally hands-on and tactical with a preference for getting things done, they may find that others are not responding as effectively as they once did to their analytical, black-and-white, task-oriented approach to the world. In times of uncertainty and fear, leaders must develop the ability to listen and relate to others, to consider alternative approaches, different points of view, entertain new possibilities, and spend time attending to the emotional needs of others.

On the flip side, if leaders are more relational in their orientation, tending towards people and values rather than facts and tasks, they may find themselves in an unrealistic place, failing to confront reality in favor of handling the people side of things. In this instance, leaders must develop the ability to take an objective look at the short and long term reality of their situation and deal with the business implications of a set of choices and actions.

Leaders must connect with people. Bringing out the best in people, in any climate of uncertainty, takes the kind of leadership that can effectively blend intuition, self-control, responsibility and respect for others. Enhancing and leveraging strong interpersonal skills, developing others, building and leading effective teams. In times of fear and uncertainty, for leaders, being accessible to others is absolutely critical. They must have open doors and open minds.

Leaders must unite the people. Whether it is within organizations, families, businesses or nations. Turbulent times remind us of the importance of human community. People value it and need to rally behind those things that bind them together. Leaders can pull their employees closer to the company by reinforcing what makes them a unique group. Chief Executives can help crystallize these feelings to energize a group towards joint action. You may find that actively dealing with a difficult situation will actually enhance a sense of togetherness and resilience as a community. This actually is the reason why when people come out of very well managed challenging situations, they build common bonds and are likely to work together going forward.

Leaders must provide security. Every time that people are uncertain and emotionally distraught, what they need more than anything else is the sense of security. The feeling that comes from the presence of a leader, walking slowly through the crowds, listening to them, reaching out, hugging them, caring for them. In other words, just saying, “I’m here. I’m here for you. I’m here to serve you, I’m here to help you.” I am looking forward to a time in this country when Nigerians would have a sense of security. When Nigerians would have a feeling that leaders truly care and are interested in their personal and organisational needs. I am looking forward to a time in this country when our communities will feel safe and secured simply because of leaders who are busy securing boarders, lives and properties

History is filled with leaders who at different times stepped up to the demands of leadership during times of uncertainties. President Franklin Roosevelt stepped up to provide leadership during the Great Depression in the thirties in America. Winston Church Hill stepped up and provided leadership during the second world war when Adolf Hitler was ready to take down Britain. Martin Luther King Jr stepped up to push for equality when the African Americans were treated like slaves. President Nelson Mandela stepped up to provide leadership for the realization of majority rule when South Africa was at her lowest ebb of minority rule. Even in the Bible days, Nehemiah stepped up to provide the leadership needed to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem.

I challenge you today as a Nigerian, to provide leadership wherever you find yourself especially in times of uncertainty. We must step up and show leadership as we prepare to go to the polls in 2023. Our consideration for voting should go beyond ethnicity, religion, nepotism, greed, selfish considerations and stomach infrastructure. Albert Camus said, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn. In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.

One more thing great people of Nigeria, you must remember, if a person does not have a purpose for walking up, sleeping becomes interesting.

Okorie is a leadership development expert spanning 27 years in the research, teaching and coaching of leadership in Africa and across the world. He is the CEO of the GOTNI Leadership Centre

Quote

Leaders must provide security. Every time that people are uncertain and emotionally distraught, what they need more than anything else is the sense of security. The feeling that comes from the presence of a leader, walking slowly through the crowds, listening to them, reaching out, hugging them, caring for them. In other words, just saying, ‘I’m here. I’m here for you. I’m here to serve you, I’m here to help you’