Be a Confident Business Leader – Even When You Feel You Can’t
by Michelle Bomberger | April 3, 2020Regardless of your business, the last few weeks have been an upheaval for every business leader. At Equinox, our team has transitioned to remote work with daily virtual communications, and we’ll continue to have systems in place that help us best meet your needs. Our clients deserve to have quick and simple access to essential resources, regardless of current challenges facing workplaces today.
With uncertainty plaguing small business owners, it’s our goal to be a guide during hard decision making. Doubt, fear, and disruption affect each person differently, including each business leader.
Embrace Vulnerability and Openly Acknowledge It
How do we lead our organization when we feel vulnerable? Sometimes it’s hard to see how we can lead when we feel just as anxious and fearful as our people. We know they look to their business leader for guidance, and we might feel there’s no way to guide them – it feels like the blind leading the blind. What should we do? Embrace that feeling of vulnerability and openly acknowledge it. No one expects you to be unaffected by this crisis just because you’re in charge, but they do expect you to take control and action.
Find Ways to Leverage Existing Resources
How do we decide what action to take when it seems the world is crumbling? For many, their life’s work has evaporated before their eyes. The impact of this crisis was profound and immediate without time to plan or pivot – business just stopped. It may seem impossible to lead through that, yet we have seen the entrepreneurial spirit shine over the past few weeks. As businesses halted operations, they found ways to leverage their existing resources differently, such as unique relationships and educational growth. These times can paralyze us – find your inspiration and take action.
Step in to Inspire and Lead
How do we inspire others in times of uncertainty? This crisis raised many different feelings and fears that uniquely hit each person. On any given day, emotions vary from fear to sadness to despair – and sometimes to pride and joy. Even though we may feel like we’re on a carousel of these emotions and not in control, our team sees us differently. We are the leaders – and ultimately, we are in control of what actions the business takes. If we don’t step in to inspire and lead, our people only have their own emotions to guide them. Since everyone is in a different place emotionally, they cannot come together without us. Even in difficult times, we are the core of the business. We see the big picture – good or bad. It’s our responsibility to share whatever that picture looks like, honestly and with empathy. That’s what they need from us now.
In times of uncertainty and fear, it’s reasonable to want to crawl under a rock and hide. And that feels good for a little while. As entrepreneurs, though, we know our team relies on us. We can’t fail to lead because we’re feeling too vulnerable, too paralyzed, or also out of control. You’ll be surprised at how much they value your guidance and will respect your courage and leadership to see beyond the bleak picture to what the future brings.