Stewarding Management Leadership

Being a leader in these challenging times is hard. Here are six practices I have learned from other leaders doing their best to navigate these challenging times effectively: 1. They do their best to take care of themselves - physically, mentally, spiritually - and surround themselves with a supportive network. They know this is going to be a marathon not a sprint. 2. They lead with values. They anchor their leadership in core values and principles that remain steady amid change. 3. They see opportunities to serve. To do this, they engage with frontliners and customers. They listen, empathize, and turn insights into opportunities to be of service. 4. They rethink their organization's higher purpose, aligning their business with the customer's evolving needs. They focus on how they can meet these needs innovatively. They refound the business around those needs. 5. They redefine success. They consider what it means to 'win' in this new environment. They add purpose-driven goals to traditional metrics and consider how their company can impact the world positively. 6. They create energy. They create and nurture an energizing environment for their employees, underpinned by a growth mindset that values empathy for customers, learning from mistakes and collaboration. My advice to you? Be kind to yourself and focus on being and doing your best. In a context that is highly unpredictable, you are not going to be on a linear journey and there will be some speedbumps on the road. What is your personal approach to navigating these uncertain times? Please share your thoughts below. For more insights, read this Harvard Business Review article I recently co-authored, 'Leading a Company That Can Thrive in a Chaotic World' here: https://lnkd.in/dFDmmy6t #UnleashingHumanMagic #TheTransformationJourney

Leading in uncertain times is a hot topic today in business as we face a compounding set of unknowns: tariffs, inflation, volatility in our financial markets, the ongoing climate crisis, supply chain disruptions, global conflicts, and the advent of AI to name just a few. Whether you are an operator, investor or board member, I wanted to share a few of my approaches to dealing with the reality we are facing, and I would love your thoughts in response: 1. First, for me, is to remain consistent and committed to our company values. At PSP Partners, we express ours as IDEALS--Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Alignment, Leadership and Service. Your teams want to know that during uncertainty you will make hard decisions that are grounded in your core values. 2. Radical honesty is critical. Bringing your leadership team to a point of embracing the reality of the landscape that your organization is facing is an essential foundation to then figuring out the vulnerabilities. 3. Ensuring that your balance sheet is strong to weather the difficult periods as well as to have the opportunity to play offense is more essential than ever. 4. Regular scenario planning and pressure testing various outcomes is essential to manage and mitigate risk; it is all the more important right now. This is also known as “red teaming” and it’s a critical thing to do. 5. Being curious about your blind spots and institutional biases will help create an environment where you and your team can safely challenge assumptions. 6. Overcommunicating with your management team and to your company as a whole have never been more needed. Remember it takes about 7 times for a message to break through. Don’t be afraid to repeat it over and over. 7. Embracing the idea that challenges also create unique and unexpected opportunities is so important. During uncertainty the best companies create extraordinary opportunity and returns for the long term. 8. A strong, innovative and resilient culture is always foundational and especially essential to navigating the current challenges. The CEO and your leadership team have to set the example.  

Consider the challenges that my colleagues and I come up against in the leaders with whom we work: uncertainty, prioritization, conflict aversion, authenticity, the hunger to be liked, balancing empathy with accountability, fear of being called out on social media, and navigating competing demands from multiple stakeholders. Or the challenges that recur in their organizations, such as decision-making, prioritization, collaboration, disengagement, and burnout. The apparent problem is rarely the underlying problem. What most leaders don’t recognize is how much what they’re feeling and struggling with internally is influencing the way they show up externally. Treat symptoms with behavioral solutions or quick fixes, and any relief they provide will be temporary at best. The challenges inevitably reoccur, much as weeds resurface after they’ve been pulled from a garden. My team and I worked with the senior team at a company that had struggled for two years with trying to create a decision rights framework. Each new solution seemed promising, and each one failed. They kept spinning. The core problem turned out to be that the CEO felt insecure about making any important decision. By becoming more aware of earlier events in his life that drove his insecurity but no longer applied, and by homing in on the values he held most dear, he progressively gained confidence in his instincts. Most every issue that we face, and struggle to resolve, has roots in our own doubts about our worthiness, and in our tendency to look outside ourselves for answers. These are questions we regularly ask all our coaching clients when they’re struggling: 1. What are you not seeing? 2. What part of what you’re feeling – or avoiding feeling – is a reflection of something you’re bringing to the present from experiences that happened in the past? 3. Rather than seeking certainty, can you create space for all of what you’re feeling, and tap into your core capacity to do the next right thing? #excecutivecoaching #leadership #selfreflection

How do you help your team members handle challenges—without taking on their challenges for them? 

In working through a challenge and learning from it, your team is able to grow. Think about the last time a team member told you about a challenge they had…and then somehow it was turned over to you to manage, or you picked it up and solved it.

You might be so good at putting out fires you didn’t even realize it. 

I get it. I’m an action-oriented person. I love to solve problems. I love to support my team.

A leader’s job is to coach team members to solve their problems and handle difficult situations, not necessarily do it for them. 

I definitely learned this the hard way as a new leader.

First, I drowned in directly managing the team’s challenges plus my own. Then, I learned my efforts to help my team unintentionally showed them that only I can handle something, or to expect that I will.

I still take seriously my role as a leader to remove barriers and intervene, as appropriate—but I also remind my team members that I believe in their abilities.

Here are three steps to help your team members navigate their own challenges (with your support and guidance, of course). ASK QUESTIONS Ask your team member open-ended questions to help them think through the challenge. You might say, “What do you think the next step should be?” or “How should we handle this challenge?” You want to draw out their perspective and demonstrate that this is something you expect them to manage. DETERMINE YOUR ROLE When your team member starts talking about their challenge, try to determine if they need to vent or need you to do something. Because I have a tendency to jump into things, I have to catch myself to ask if the team member wants feedback, support, or action. If they want feedback or support,they’re showing they intend to manage through the challenge and would benefit from your guidance. If they request action, dig a little deeper before you take this on. Try to understand if they aren't confident in their choices and need reassurance, or if they're delegating the tough stuff to avoid managing it themselves. REINFORCE YOUR TEAM MEMBER’S STRENGTHS Acknowledge your team member’s challenge—and their ability to get through it. Reassure them that you believe they can handle it. You may remind them of how they successfully handled a difficult situation in the past. Most importantly, remember that the leader’s role is not to solve their team's problems—but to help their team become better problem solvers.

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘃𝘀. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀 As a leadership mentor, I often encounter mentees grappling with a daunting dilemma: should they endure disrespect to accomplish professional goals, or should they uphold their self-respect, knowing it may jeopardize certain outcomes, especially in the politically charged corridors of office dynamics? 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁. Many professionals, eager to prove their worth, fall into the trap of prioritizing short-term results at the cost of tolerating disrespect. But 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. It is the foundation of your long-term success & sanity. Choosing #selfrespect doesn’t mean abandoning responsibilities; it means finding ways to achieve results while standing up for your core values. Here are five ways to navigate such situations: 1. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆: Address disrespect calmly & clearly. Use “𝗜” statements to express your boundaries without being confrontational. For eg.,“𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺.” 2. 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: If the disrespect stems from office politics, try to understand the other person’s motivations. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴. 3. 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆: If the behavior persists, document incidents and escalate the issue to the appropriate authority. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵. 4. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Assess if the situation is a one-off or a recurring pattern. Temporary tolerance might be necessary for strategic goals but 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴. 5. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Practice mindfulness, journaling, or 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳. Resilience helps you maintain perspective and act with poise. #Leadership is about giving & earning respect without losing your own. By staying true to your values, you not only navigate tough situations but also inspire others to uphold theirs. The #choice must always be to uphold your self-respect. The motivation to write this post is "Meenu" (name changed as requested), for after my talk, when I was on my way out from a super engaging #Mentoring Circle.. she stood by patiently at the exit waiting for a rendezvous. She was grappling with a situation at work where she had reached a crossroad, whether to keep tolerating disrespect (which she had done enough of) or take a stance for self & how? While I made a choice to mentor her, hope this post reaches someone who needed this advice today!

The biggest leadership challenge post-pandemic is NOT remote work or digital transformation. It’s leading in a dynamic business environment, and staying grounded while everything around you shifts. Even before 2020, C-level leaders were expected to navigate ambiguity. But now, change isn’t episodic. It’s the only constant. One quarter, it’s a new compliance regulation. The next, your margins are threatened by supply chain disruptions. Then comes shifting talent needs, hybrid team models, or global competition. In coaching conversations with senior leaders, I keep hearing: “We don’t even get a breather between two transformations anymore.” And it is the new norm because you can’t control how fast the external environment changes. But you can build an internal system of clarity, trust, and alignment that helps you move with the change, instead of being thrown off by it. In my work with CXOs, here’s what I’ve observed about leaders who thrive: 1/ They stay close to their values as a filter to make quick, high-stakes decisions. 2/ They build adaptive teams not just by hiring smart, but by developing energetic alignment and resilience. 3/ They evolve their systems, not out of panic, but through alignment. 4/ And most importantly, they know when to slow down and reflect because speed without alignment creates burnout, not breakthroughs. So, if everything outside seems shifting, look at the one place you can reset. i.e., inside your leadership ecosystem. Some reflective questions to help you start: - “Where do I need to evolve?” - “What systems no longer serve us?” - “How do I keep my team aligned through this pace of change?” Sit and reflect on these today. ♻️Save & Repost to help leaders in your network.

Right now, leaders across the UK are facing some of the toughest challenges in years. The government’s financial and tax pressures are squeezing organisations, staff costs are soaring, and uncertainty is the new normal. In times like these, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, to slip into survival mode, and to let fear dictate decisions. But this is exactly when true leadership is needed most. The best leaders don’t just weather the storm, they find ways to inspire, adapt, and lead their people with optimism and resilience. We need to awaken possibility to deliver extraordinary results. So, how do we stay positive when everything around us seems to be tightening? How do we step up and lead with strength when the pressure is relentless? 1. Reframe the Challenge Rather than seeing difficulties as roadblocks, view them as opportunities for growth, innovation, and reinvention. Some of the greatest breakthroughs in business history have come from adversity. Challenge your team to think differently, streamline processes, and focus on what truly adds value. 2. Control the Controllables Worrying about external factors beyond your control is a waste of valuable energy. Focus instead on what you can influence. Focus on your leadership, your team’s morale, and the strategic decisions that move the dial. A calm, clear-headed leader inspires confidence, even in the face of uncertainty. 3. Communicate with Transparency and Purpose In tough times, silence breeds fear. Be honest with your team about the challenges but also about the opportunities. Share the bigger picture, reinforce the mission, and remind people why they do what they do. People rally around a compelling vision, even when times are hard. 4. Stay Future-Focused Yes, the present may be tough, but where do you want to be in six months? A year? The best leaders keep one eye on the horizon. By keeping a strategic mindset, you help your team see beyond the current crisis and build for long-term success. Use progress as a motivational tool. 5. Cultivate Resilience Encourage a culture where setbacks are seen as learning experiences, not failures. Invest in wellbeing, encourage personal growth, and create an environment where people feel supported to push through challenges. 6. Lead with Energy and Optimism Your team takes its cues from you. If you’re drained, frustrated, and pessimistic, they’ll feel it. But if you bring energy, purpose, and a relentless belief that you will navigate through, they’ll follow your lead. Now is the Time to Lead Tough times don’t last, but strong leaders do. The pressures on businesses right now are real, but so are the opportunities to step up, lead with purpose, and come out the other side stronger than ever. Stay positive. Stay resilient. Awaken Possibility. How are you keeping your mindset strong in today’s climate? Let’s share insights and support each other.

Global markets are volatile. Recession fears, cost pressures, employment instability—uncertainty is high, and so is anxiety. Through my career I’ve led businesses through the Great Recession, the subprime mortgage collapse and banking crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, more than one liquidity crisis, and too many other smaller crises to list. Each moment tested not just the businesses I led, but my leadership. Here are my TOP 10 lessons learned for LEADING THROUGH VOLATILITY AND UNCERTAINTY for those leaders navigating turbulence today: 1. KEEP YOUR RELATIONSHIPS STRONG. You need your team, your customers, your partners—and they need to know you have their back. 2. COMMUNICATE. Uncertainty fuels rumors. Communication builds trust and enables action. Communicate clearly and frequently. It’s okay to let people know the things that you don’t know, but always let them know that you put them and the mission first. 3. MAINTAIN AND PRIORITIZE LONG-TERM GOALS. Resist the trap of short-term fear. The best decisions are made when we zoom out and detach from panic. This is a great opportunity to be very clear about what the real priorities are and to cut away the noise and distractions. 4. DECENTRALIZE COMMAND. In uncertain environments, speed and flexibility are survival skills. You can’t be everywhere or make every decision—so empower and unleash your leaders at every level. 5. DO THE HARD STUFF. None of this is easy, but leading your team to thrive in hard times is a great leadership challenge. It takes commitment, calm, balance, and self-discipline. 6. MAINTAIN MOMENTUM. In the face of uncertainty or fear, some people will freeze. Don’t. Keep moving. Some of your actions will be wrong. Learn from them and move again. You don’t have to get every decision right – you have to maintain momentum. 7. EMBRACE CHANGE. The goal isn’t to avoid change—it’s to leverage it. Leadership requires facing reality and finding ways to use it to your advantage. 8. DETACH FROM EMOTION. Fear clouds judgment. At Echelon Front we call detachment a “superpower” because it enables prioritization and good decisions under pressure. 9. STAY HEALTHY. Making time to keep yourself healthy and fit during times of uncertainty and change isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Sleep, eat well, and exercise to keep your body and mind strong and your stress under control. 10. OWN THE SITUATION. Don’t complain about the external environment—own it. That’s what Extreme Ownership means. You can’t control the weather, but you can steer the ship. In challenging times, leadership matters more than ever. Crises reveal cracks, but also potential. So don’t just lead your team to survive, lead them to thrive - you just might find that the storm transforms them to be faster, more nimble, more innovative, and more successful than ever. #leadership #extremeownership #decentralizedcommand #resilience #leadingthroughcrisis #volatility #echelonfront

Mistakes are inevitable in leadership.  What matters most is how we respond in those pivotal moments—because the way we handle challenges can either deepen trust or shatter it. Leadership is about the choices we make in these critical moments.  ⚖️ Consider Boeing. After two tragic aircraft crashes, the company’s response was defensive—blaming pilots and airlines instead of addressing the pain of the victims’ families. It took years to apologize, causing enormous damage to trust, reputation, and finances. Contrast that with Tylenol’s response to a deadly crisis in the 1980s: they prioritized customer safety, acted with transparency, and rebuilt trust.  These contrasting responses offer a clear lesson: It’s not the crisis itself but how leaders choose to respond that determines whether trust is restored—or lost forever. Leadership isn’t just about addressing challenges—it’s about demonstrating to those you lead that their trust and well-being truly matter.  💞 Loved my Partnering Leadership conversation with Shailendra Pratap Jain and Shalini S Jain, authors of Managing Brand Transgressions: 8 Principles to Transform Your Brand. In the conversation, they shared compelling examples and timeless principles to help leaders navigate brand transgressions and leadership challenges alike. Their advice highlights three essential steps to guide your response when faced with challenges or crises: ✴ Start with accountability. Owning the situation is difficult but essential. Deflecting responsibility only makes things worse.  ✴ Put people first. Focus on those impacted, addressing their needs before worrying about your image or reputation.  ✴ Communicate openly. Silence creates doubt; transparency builds trust.  I consistently see in my work with CEOs and leadership teams that trust is built—or lost—through the actions leaders take when faced with adversity. Those actions define not only the immediate outcome but also the long-term strength of relationships.  🤔 Think about a leader, manager, or public figure you’ve observed during a difficult moment. How did they handle the challenge? Did their actions restore trust and inspire confidence, or did they leave people wondering if they were the right person to lead? What can their example teach us about how to navigate our own tough moments as leaders? ✍ I’d love to hear who comes to mind and what lessons you’ve taken away. #StrategyToAction #partneringleadership Strategic Leadership Ventures #leadership #management #strategy #culture #collaboration #brand