Leading Without Drama in Dramatic Times

As I’m writing this post, it’s Tuesday, election day.  I spent the morning participating in self-care (in the form of lawn care), lost in thought as I blew mounds of leaves into tidy, satisfying piles.  

And it occurred to me: no matter who wins tonight’s election, a significant percentage of our employees, customers and community members may be sitting on different ends of an emotional spectrum.  Some of our people may be feeling relieved- even joyful.  Others may be angry; perhaps even afraid. 

Politics are difficult to navigate at the dinner table, much less in an open floor plan.  Coinbase took  steps to ban political conversations in the workplace.   Expensify took a different route and sent out political endorsements to its 10 million users.  Both efforts were controversial, but both also appear to be fairly consistent with (and defensible by) those surrounding the culture.

Most of the CEOs I talk with are simply trying to do their best to get through 2020 with their people in good physical and mental health, while keeping the financial wheels on the bus. Very few are actively looking for controversy. 

So how should we proceed when we know we need to lead in difficult times?

Here are the five things Aspirational Leaders can do to help foster a sense of calm, of camaraderie, of safety for your stakeholders:

·      Reinforce Your Vision

·      Revisit and re-communicate the vision statement of your organization.  Who are you seeking to support?  Why does it matter?  Remind your employees of the greater purpose of your organization, and how their involvement supports making the world a better place, regardless of what’s happening in the political landscape.  Recognize people who are living out your culture and values every day.

·      Pull out the Evidence

·      Where has your organization been able to create a positive impact?  Find evidence that points to your team’s efforts to care for its customers or community.  Tell those stories with fondness, appreciation, and a vision for future positive impact.

·      Find Ways to Help your Employees Thrive

·      Sarah is still Sarah.  Trevor is still Trevor.  Regardless of political persuasion, we’re all living through the same elements of stress and worry through COVID-19.  In a recent update to my Future of Work Whitepaper, employees found conversations that recognized them as an individual, reminders of employee health benefits and an overall sense of flexibility to be extremely impactful efforts made by their manager.  

·      Be Diligent in Meeting Your Regulatory and Ethical Obligations

·      The best way to demonstrate commitment to our political system is to play by the rules.  Meet your regulatory obligations; better yet, understand what ethical risks are lurking under the radar, and make proactive efforts to address those issues.

·      Tell the Truth of What’s Happening in Your Organization

·      Ultimately, people can’t feel a sense of consistency, culture or alignment with your organization if they don’t know what you’re doing.  Communicate the vision throughout your internal organization.  Share the wins of your community engagement efforts.  Highlight the work you’re doing to make lives better for your employees, suppliers and community members.

Here’s an intense statistic: 75% of American Consumers said that “companies were more reliable than the federal government in keeping America running.”   

Whether you agree with that or not; whether you agree with the election or not; whether you’re ready to lead in this manner or not: if you lead a business, you have a responsibility to keep America running.  (And an opportunity to do so in a way that makes the world a better place while increasing profit.)

Here with you,

Dora

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