Not an Easy Time to Lead Others
“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It is about one life influencing another.” John C. Maxwell
This has not been an easy time to navigate through change, especially for leaders. As a motivational change management speaker I can assure you that leadership is harder than ever. The pandemic, followed by a painful economic set of challenges have taken their toll on every workplace.
Unfortunately, leaders tend to place themselves on the bottom of the priority list, as though they alone are responsible for uplifting the entire organization. During times of stress and change, executive leaders, feeling pressure, forget their health, purpose and often life meaning, instead of personal care and concern. Said Forbes business writer Tracy Brower, PhD:
“Leaders can [must?] remind themselves about the inevitable ebb and flow of work, and how things will change and evolve over time. Challenges today will turn into resilience tomorrow. And facing difficulties will build their skills, perspectives and capabilities over the long term.”
Resilience needed more than ever
Leadership changes abound as we enter 2023, but most meaningful, those who have endured are the most resilient because they have the vision to inspire others. Almost one year ago, international change management expert Slovan Drinovac stated:
“Change leadership is becoming increasingly vital for any organization’s success. Change leadership is the ability to influence and inspire action in others in response to periods of growth, disruption, or uncertainty. For change leadership to be properly implemented, it requires vision, forward-thinking and the ability for individuals to be agile and responsive to constantly changing business environments.”
To be an exceptional leader, have the vision to understand – and to inspire others that resilient minds working together can meet any challenge.
This vision is important to anticipating that 2023 may be a year of recession, inflation and layoffs. Valued workers could react with burn out. Nevertheless, burnout doesn’t have to happen if resilient leaders have the singular mindset to understand the workplace as being composed of people who are struggling and hurting, and who need reassurance.
In 2021, the Gallup organization found that burned-out workers are 2.5 times more likely to walk away from their jobs. How do workers get burn-out? Research has shown five causes:
- Unfair treatment at work
- “Unimaginable” workload
- Unclear communication from managers
- Lack of manager support
- Unreasonable time pressure
As a motivational change management speaker, what fascinates me is that employee burnout is a direct reflection on a lack of leadership mindset. The five influencers from the Gallup findings speak directly to executive leaders failing their people as people. How are employees being treated? What is the workload? How clear is the communication? How much are employees being supported? What are the time pressures?
In 2023, organizations must succeed together, from the executive leader to the intern. It would be a shame to know that organizations came through COVID intact, but fell apart because no one was determined to communicate, nurture, support or be resilient enough to value people over processes and product.
To reach Scott Burrows, Motivational Change Management Keynote Speaker contact Scott today by phone at: 520 – 548 – 1169 or through this website.
