Organizations today are navigating a set of unprecedented and overlapping external stressors. Among these factors, organizations are grappling with the rapid adoption of AI, shifting or collapsing career paths due to layoffs and reorganizations, greater economic uncertainty, overseas conflicts, and shifts in the donor landscape. There is also job loss, particularly for younger generations, and a negative external environment. When we consider the impact of these external factors on organizations and their leaders, it is clear that these changes are taking a heavy toll.
Leaders and teams are experiencing an erosion of trust, with many individuals questioning if it is safe to bring their authentic selves to work, and a contradictory feeling of being both frenzied and stalled. The trauma of the pandemic remains a significant backdrop, particularly in sectors like healthcare, where the sense of crisis never truly passed.
How do we support leaders who are bearing the brunt of these changes?
We recently convened a roundtable of our coaches here at The Nebo Company to discuss these realities, and a wide range of strategies for navigating this complexity emerged.
Expand Your Leadership Capacity: Nebo’s Transformational Leadership Framework helps leaders navigate change. Specifically, we focus on the "Be" domain (centered on presence and emotional intelligence) and the "See" domain (involving the wider system and context). By developing these areas, leaders can step back from the immediate chaos and gain the perspective needed to move forward.
Understand Change vs. Transition: Utilizing the Bridges model of change and transition is incredibly helpful. While change is an external event, transition is the internal psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation.
Unpack Disappointed Expectations: It is vital to acknowledge the disappointed expectations that can prevent people from using their personal power. When we ignore these feelings, teams get stuck.
Name the Grief: We must acknowledge the real grief that can accompany change in these times. Naming it normalizes the experience and helps people process their emotions.
Embrace Agency: Encourage leaders and team members to embrace their agency by "playing inside of their own sandbox." Even when external factors are out of our control, we can still decide how we want to show up and operate within our own sphere of influence.
Finally, you cannot support a stressed team if you are running on empty. It is crucial to stay "in shape" to lead by managing your own personal circumstances and energy levels. Extending grace to ourselves, finding creative outlets, making time in nature, and continuing to prioritize personal wellness are among the most effective ways to stay healthy.
Leading through organizational trauma and change fatigue is not about having all the answers. It is about cultivating the presence, perspective, and personal resilience to guide others through the storm. If you would like help navigating the complexity of leading in today's rapidly changing environment, contact us today to schedule a conversation.
Photo by Jordan Ladikos on Unsplash.