What to Tell Our Teams

We as leaders are supposed to have the answers. We’re problem solvers and pragmatists who pride ourselves on being the voices of reason and practicality during times of uncertainty and unrest. It’s why we’ve gotten the job, and it’s why we’re good at what we do.

But this year has tested us unlike any other.

Our communication skills, our resiliency, our empathy, our patience, our reasoning. We’ve admittedly been forced to leave some of the bubbles blank on this leadership and self-discovery exam.

There is no shame, no weakness in not always knowing the correct answer or having the perfect words for those we lead.

But we have a duty and an obligation to be truth seekers and to at the very least make ourselves available to our teams.

Here are 4 things we can do right now:

1. Find well-written and well-researched articles/videos and send them to our teams. They may not be our words, but they’ll open up the eyes of those we lead and convey that we are truth seekers committed to creating an open and informed culture based on love and trust.

2. Make ourselves available. Sometimes those we lead just want to get through their hurdles on their own. But we can at least say, “I’m always available if you want to talk” or “Please don’t hesitate if I can be helping you in any way,” and then routinely follow up. It’s a simple gesture to show we do care and that we can empathize without necessarily interfering.

3. Educate ourselves. We need to read, we need to study history and we need to be informed leaders who can elevate the level of discussion within our organizations. So many people have opinions. Fewer have facts. Let’s not be stubborn —let’s instead admit we don’t have all the answers. Let’s not be egotistical — let’s acknowledge we could be wrong. And let’s never lose sight of the fact that our experiences might not be someone else’s.

4. Create a common cause. We may not have the perfect solutions to the problems we face, but we can still create a unified purpose for our organizations. Share, volunteer, perform, sacrifice — whatever it may be — together. Let’s get out of the board room, out of the classroom, out of the locker room and let’s remember that we stand for something greater than profits, greater than grades, greater than wins. What is our why?

The renowned poet and activist Dr. Maya Angelou famously said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Let’s keep this quote in mind and not become paralyzed by the fear of not having the perfect message. Let’s fall back on some of our successes and remember that we’ve been given our current titles because we’re competent and capable.

We have to believe in ourselves while at the same time recognizing our holes and striving to get better.

Remember that we don’t need perfect scores on every exam to make the honor roll. But let’s not let the fear of being wrong prevent us from even attempting to answer the question.

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