Leadership in Challenging Times: Between Uncertainty and Inspiration
This article was originally published in Portuguese in Líder Magazine, in the fall 2024 issue.
The online version was later published on the magazine’s website. The original article can be consulted here link.
In our work as executive and team coaches, and as leadership trainers, we recognise the difficulty leaders have in do more with less and keep their teams motivated in a context of continuous changes, in which commitment decreases and levels of satisfaction increase. burnout.
Leaders suffer tensions at different levels, coming from internal and external stakeholders. They feel pressured to react, to focus on short-term results and to choose the least bad option, instead of acting proactively and working towards the vision of the desired future, developing organisations more focused on human and ecosystem sustainability.
We hear the feeling of disconnection with current leadership, due to the perceived distance between the values communicated and the values present in the daily actions and practices of the organisation.
How to navigate ambiguity, as our caravels navigated previously unknown oceans, and build teams and organisations capable of facing challenges?
Through coaching we work with leaders and teams to identify what they need to change in themselves to promote the transformation of their teams and organisations.
We help them identify the internal and external resources they already have and those they need to develop, to increase their ability to influence and act proactively in creating their vision of the future.
We work on beliefs, emotions, mentalities and relationships, considering a purpose that creates value for both the business and all interested parties.
We create intentional spaces of learning and celebration throughout the development journey, to evaluate progress and recharge the energy that drives change.
We address horizontal development—knowledge and competencies—but also vertical development—being and mental models—considering evolution:
- of the «yo» al “us”,
- of opportunistic value creation a the creation of value with and for a broad base of stakeholders,
- of the time as a “scarce” resource al time as an “opportunity” to do better every day,
- of the thinking focused on current performance al strategic thinking in three horizons: the present, the future and what we can start doing tomorrow.
In this development journey, which includes doing, but also thinking and being, we work on skills such as communication, with special attention to active listening, which enhances the commitment and impact of leaders and teams.
We promote psychological safety, trust and the construction of inclusive teams, in which creativity and the implementation of more agile processes and structures are encouraged, and where the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
There is hope and each of us can make a difference in building a promising future for ourselves and for generations to come!
Authors: Fátima Ribeiro and Susana Azevedo