The Leadership Challenge:

Are you as caught up in the Olympic spirit as I am? I’m consistently amazed by the commitment and dedication these young (and a few not so young) athletes have given to their sport, as well as the inspirational stories (this is an all-time favorite). Most of their lives consist of little else, other than school and training, for many years. As much as dedication and commitment are requirements, it’s extremely rare that an athlete achieves greatness on his/her own. It takes a team – the sport coach, strength & conditioning coach, nutritionist, physical therapist, and sports psychologist - all specialists in their own areas of expertise. They each “dig deep” to find opportunities for improvement and make lots of tiny adjustments to aim for perfection.

But as much as you do all you can to prepare for “the main event” and as much as you have plans in place for all kind of variables of interruption – no plan is foolproof. Who would have thought that two carts carrying athletes in the Track & Field World Championships in Budapest in 2023 would have crashed on the way to the race? “Things happen” and like world-class athletes, leaders need to know how to lead their team through transformation and difficult times.

A significant and common issue I see facing global business leaders is not about adapting to change, but more so effectively managing the people side of change. This involves inspiring, guiding, leading and supporting employees through uncertainty and ensuring that organizational changes are embraced and sustained.

Diagnosing the Problem: The Human Side of Transformation

The only constant is change: digital transformation, mergers and acquisitions, organizational restructuring, outsourcing, AI and globalization, to name a few. While these changes are often necessary for growth, they can be disruptive and unsettling for employees. The human side of transformation encompasses the emotional, psychological, and cultural aspects that are often overlooked in the rush to implement new technologies, processes, culture or operations.

Key Challenges:

A few of the key challenges you will face as a leader during any transformation are as follows:

1. Resistance to Change: Employees often resist changes due to fear of the unknown, loss of job security, or discomfort with new technologies. This resistance can derail transformation efforts and lead to a loss of morale and productivity. Imagine your role of many years was to aggregate data in an excel document from multiple departments. Now this is being done by an ERP or CRM tool and your job seems to have disappeared before your eyes. How would you respond?

2. Lack of Communication and Transparency: Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, rumors, and a lack of trust in leadership. Employees need to understand the rationale behind the changes, how they will be affected, what the timeline and extent of impact will be and what support will be available. People absorb information differently, learn differently and respond differently. Are you effectively supporting these differences?

3. Cultural Misalignment: When new strategies or processes conflict with an organization's existing culture, it can create friction. This misalignment can hinder the adoption of new ways of working and negatively impact employee engagement. A great example of this is the current focus on sustainability that many energy and chemical companies now have. Prior to these initiatives, which are often mandates for many large organizations, conversations about sustainability were often ignored or joked about. However, now they are at the forefront of conversation, process and “culture” (look at any of the TV ads – all these organizations now prioritize the environment - lol), But the reality is that this is that this sustainability focus at odds with the long time culture of nothing will stop our growth and production. What are you doing to help your team adjust to this new way of thinking?

4. Leadership Gaps: No one is born with comprehensive leadership skills. An MBA or other leadership qualifications help you understand challenges that other leaders have faced and how they have responded, both successes and failures. But truly the only way to learn to lead a team is to do it. Every situation is unique as you are dealing with people and people are all different. Effective transformation requires leaders to have exceptional skill across all facets of leadership, not just being a “forceful leader” – see here and here . However, many leaders lack the skills (or some key skills) to manage complex changes, particularly on the human side. This can result in inadequate support for employees and a failure to align teams with new organizational goals.

The Solution: Building a Culture of Resilience and Adaptability

To address the daily challenges of living in a status of change, business leaders must focus on building a culture of resilience and adaptability. This involves fostering an environment where employees are not only willing to embrace change but are also equipped to thrive in it. The solution requires a multifaceted approach, drawing parallels from the Olympic athletes who inspire us with their perseverance, teamwork, ability to push limits and pursuit of excellence.

Key Strategies:

1. Fostering a Growth Mindset: Encourage a culture where learning and development are prioritized. Incentivize this and be clear about development and advancement opportunities. Like Olympic athletes who constantly train and refine their skills, employees should be encouraged to view challenges as opportunities for growth. This mindset shift can reduce resistance to change and increase engagement.

2. Authentically Promoting Innovation and Growth: Creating an environment where employees can explore their passions and take risks is critical for innovation and growth within a business. When leaders encourage this kind of exploration, they foster a culture of creativity and continuous learning. It's important that employees know they won't be punished for failures; instead, these experiences should be seen as opportunities to learn and refine ideas. This approach not only drives personal development but also leads to breakthrough solutions that can significantly benefit the organization.

3. Effective Communication and Transparency: Leaders must communicate clearly and consistently. Transparency builds trust and helps employees feel more secure, especially in uncertain times. The difference between robust corporate communication and leaders "speaking at" employees lies in engagement and mutual respect. Robust communication is a two-way dialogue where leaders share information clearly, listen to feedback, and foster an environment of trust. In contrast, "speaking at" employees is a one-way, directive approach that often leads to disengagement and a lack of connection, undermining trust and collaboration.

4. Employee Engagement and Empowerment: Involve employees in the transformation process by regularly seeking their input and feedback. There are many digital tools out there to easily facilitate this. Empower them to take ownership of their roles in the change. This approach not only improves the quality of decision-making but also increases buy-in and reduces resistance. Imagine you’re a successful coach training a sprinter. You know what worked well for your previous successful runners, but you can’t take a standard protocol and expect it to make all athletes successful if you don’t get their input. Without asking for input and feedback, you’ll never find the true pain points or opportunities for improvement.

5. Support and Training: Provide the necessary support and training to help employees adapt to new technologies and processes. This might include up-skilling and re-skilling programs, coaching, or mental health support. Just as Olympic teams have coaches and a team to support all aspects of physical and mental health, businesses must provide resources to help employees succeed.

Aligning with the Olympic Spirit

Just as Olympic athletes rely on their teams to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness, business leaders must cultivate a similar spirit of collaboration and resilience within their organizations. By embracing teamwork, staying adaptable, and leading with empathy, leaders can guide their teams through challenges and inspire them to reach new heights. In both sports and business, the path to success is rarely straightforward, but with the right leadership, it’s always within reach.