At times of crisis, a key role for a leader is to set the tone. Be a thermostat, not a thermometer.
Yesterday I shared a press conference by Governor Andrew Cuomo in: “Love Wins“. Today a video from my friend and business hero Chip Conley from a blog he wrote yesterday with five pieces of wisdom for surviving the economic downturn now and that will continue from this crisis.
The one that stood out most for me from this was: “Leaders are the emotional thermostats of those they lead.”
See Chip talk about this from 1:47 to 3:10 in the video included in the blog, (and lots more of value if you wish to watch the full seven-minute clip):
Key takeaways for Leaders :
- Be aware that: Anxiety = Uncertainty x Powerlessness
- Focus on Radical Transparency
- Help people understand what they can do to help the business
- If authentic to you, be a Vulnerable Visionary (see my earlier post), express your feelings and vulnerabilities, but also key to ally that to confidence in moving forwards, aligned to the vision, the North Star.