Leadership During Tough Times

As the current financial crisis looms large on the daily news each evening, we keep hearing stories of corporate bailout and excess, spa vacations and pink slips, pointing fingers and shifting blame. No one is responsible for the mess we are in, no one really knows how to fix it, and no one wants to change his or her lifestyle one bit in order to accommodate it.

As a leader in a small business, you are much like John Wayne in an old wartime movie, when he stands up out of the foxhole and charges the enemy with all of his troops in tow. Your employees are willing to follow, but you must be willing to lead and lead by example.
One good strategy would be to spend time with your sales force and their clientele on sales calls and during sales meetings. Especially in a down economy, this inspires confidence in you and your company and courage in your employees.

Make your presence known in the customer service department, asking your employees, “How can I help?” and truly listening to their concerns. The needs of customers and employees will change during a slow economy and you need to be the one with the answers, and the right attitude to inspire confidence all around.

Talk to your shipping, warehouse, and delivery staff. Make sure they know how important they are to your business as your company’s direct representatives to your customers. Train your managers to be accessible to your staff, in order to encourage and facilitate success.

Finally, a short list of things you should not do:
1. Don’t discourage ideas from your employees, as they may have more knowledge about a specific function of your business than you are.
2. Don’t let control be mistaken for leadership. Teamwork is key.
3. Try to feel and share in the pain of your employee’s economic situation. Be sensitive to their plight.

Just remember that all eyes in your company are on you. Do your best to lead with integrity and honesty, keeping relationships between you and your employees and you and your customers in mind. No one follows unless they are led, but remember, if no one is following, you’re not leading.