Cheerleader or Navigator?

In times of difficulty sometimes well-meaning leaders reach for messages of optimism. In times of genuine crisis where jobs are at risk, where some or all of the situation is uncertain, when people are scared, sometimes our own discomfort with the uncertainty and difficulty may lead us to avoid the hard reality with an overly positive message that skips over the current reality. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t be positive and encouraging - we definitely need to be those things as leaders. 

What we may not understand is what our people may be thinking when we give an overly optimistic message in a time of crisis.

“Does my leader not understand the seriousness of this moment?”

“Is my leader not being honest and transparent with me?”

This line of thinking erodes trust at the exact moment when the organization needs trust the most!

Research is clear and consistent on this point. In difficult times, people need their leaders to make them feel oriented. Knowing where you stand, even when where you stand is difficult, is profoundly steadying. An overly positive leader may create a vacuum of reliable information — and into that vacuum rushes rumour, anxiety, and the suspicion that leadership is performing rather than leading. The team begins to maintain two parallel narratives: the official one, and the one they whisper amongst themselves.

To maintain credibility and trust in hard times we must be able to state plainly, "here is what we know, here is what we don't know, and here is what we are doing about it." Leaders who can name the difficulty without catastrophising it. Who can remain positive without the need to avoid reality. Trusting that the truth held with care is always a more powerful foundation than comfort built on something false. 

Leaders, the next time you feel the urge to reach for reassurance before you've reached for honesty, pause and ask yourself: am I saying this because it's true, or because it's easier? Your team doesn't need a cheerleader right now. They need a navigator!