Leading in Uncertain Times

By Susan Tomlinson

Unless you are one of the Super Rich then there will be very few who will not have been touched by the credit crunch, rising fuel and food prices and global economic and environmental changes. Alan Greenspan predicts that 'the current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the Second World War' (FT, 16 March 2008).

In this situation the natural reaction for businesses is to stop recruiting, lay off staff and spend as little as possible on training and development. Bucking the trend is likely to be a more successful option. Evidence from the last downturn showed that those companies who laid off or failed to develop key staff struggled to regain ground when the economy bounced back.

Developing and retaining leaders will be critical to organizational success in the long term. Towers Perrin-ISR researched global high performing organizations and compared their employee opinion survey scores with those of other global companies. The global high performers outperformed the rest in leadership effectiveness by 14%.

Leaders who can steer a path through stormy waters, manage costs and identify new growth will be in demand in a tighter more competitive environment. To succeed leaders will need to

• Have the courage to take tough and effective decisions
• Build the confidence of employees by communicating a strong vision for the future
• Sustain high performance for themselves and their team
• Be alert to innovative and imaginative solutions

The quickest way to support and develop leaders is through bespoke coaching programmes that focus on the business in hand.

Susan Tomlinson provides bepoke solutions to improve the motivation and performance of managers and their teams. She specialises in helping women in business to build confidence and success. Get her valuable tips and resources and the workbook "Speaking for Success" at http://www.realcoachingsolutions.co.uk/productsandservices/success.htm

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