text: How To Be A Leader Who Inspires During Uncertain Times
  How To Be A Leader During Uncertain Times
  Is your team stalling due to an uncertain future? Jump start them with the 3Cs - Challenge, Connect, Clout
  Whether it is the economy causing it, or some other reason, lots of businesses go through tough times. And, often when the future is uncertain teams and leaders tend to freeze. A feeling of futility and 'why botheritis' can actually cause what you are fearing to come about.
  It is in this time of uncertainty that you need to know how to be a leader who keeps your people inspired and engaged ... to protect not only your own future, but that of your team members and your organization.
  Recently, I worked with a team who were going through an extremely unsettling time. An announcement was made that, in about 18 months time, they were potentially (underscore the word, potentially here!) to lose about 50% of their team, due to outsourcing.
  News like this is likely to take the wind out of the sails of even the hardiest of individuals and teams.
  A few months after the announcement was made, I was working with one of their leaders who commented, "I haven't been doing any performance planning, development and coaching with my team. Everyone is pretty flat and the goals we set six months ago, seem a bit pointless now" ~ Ouch!
  This leader's thinking was something along the lines of, "If we are likely not to be here in 12 months time why bother putting development plans in place for my team members and keep them engaged."
  When the future is bleak, it can be hard to be inspiring. You are likely to be feeling quite vulnerable yourself. Potentially your neck is on the chopping block as much as everyone else. However, it is in these bleak times that it is essential that you remind yourself why you stepped into a leadership role.
  What you do today, dictates your tomorrow
  As a leader what impact do you aspire to have?
  If your vision for your impact was along the lines of bringing out the best in yourself and others ... then you need to do this regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in.
  And yes, when the future is uncertain it is hard to be fully in the present ... you are more likely to be worrying more about future. Yet, I'm sure you've heard the saying, "What you do today, dictates your tomorrow."
  If you take it seriously that your role as a leader is to inspire yourself and others to sail close to your potential, then pull on your bootstraps and re-engage yourself and your team.
  Here's How To Inspire Performance In A Demoralized Team
  Throughout life, three hungers drive every individual, and these hungers need to be continuously fed (regardless of whether you are going through tough times or not).
  The need to Connect with others and feel that you matter
  The need to have Clout
  If you can feed these three hungers (for yourself and your team) you'll inspire and engage ... even with a murky future hanging over your head
  As I said to that leader who was deeply entrenched in the pond of 'why botheritis' ...
  "Worry is negative goal setting!
  "Even if the worst scenario comes to pass, wouldn't it be far more powerful if you were able to tell future employers that you kept your team engaged and kicking goals right through to the end. Wouldn't that make you a far more powerful candidate?
  "What a gift to your team members to help them hold their heads high. Help them to feel that they have the power to face whatever is coming up, because they are achievers ... that they didn't walk the losers limp - even in a tough time."
  If you and your team are slogging through uncertain times, then make sure you can answer each of these with a nice fat YES:
  Each person is working on meaningful and challenging projects/goals that you have a 60%+ chance of achieving
  Each person feels someone cares about them
  Each person feels they have control over what they do and how they do it.
  Be willing to have robust conversations with your team members who might want to stay in victim mode. Help them to see that their future success will very much depend upon the attitude and resilience they call upon during this tumultuous time.
  Help them to see that setting challenging goals, keeping up relationships and taking control over their work, will keep them in the right-frame of mind ... helping them to be the type of person that others will want on their team.
  Take the time to set meaningful and challenging goals with yourself and your team members.
  Take time to have campfire meetings at the end of each day. Where you are coming together and discussing
  the challenges confronted,
  what you learned about yourself and others,
  what you plan to do differently tomorrow.
  Clear the way so that your people have the autonomy and authority to make decisions and get things done on their projects.
  The trick is to become a barrier buster, rather than a morale buster!
  Even when you are unsure what might unfold in the future, take this opportunity to be a leader who lives, loves and leads remarkably. Instead of viewing it as a tough time to get through, view it as an opportunity to hone your leadership, resilience and inspirational skills.