ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / December 9, 2020 / While it's rarely discussed, leadership can be fraught with uncertainty. In normal times, uncertainty can be driven by shifting business conditions, challenges to supply chains, or approaches to scalability. However, this year has seen new uncertainty brought on by the global pandemic, U.S. elections, and social justice movements.
Despite the upheaval in the marketplace and society overall, business must continue and those who manage businesses must adapt and continue to set the direction for the business. There are a number of tips on ways leaders can best lead during a time of uncertainty, but few are more powerful or universally applicable as leading with optimism.
"Leading with optimism doesn't mean leading through rose-colored glasses," explained Deepak "Dee" Agarwal, an innovative entrepreneur who has led companies such as NoMoreRack.com and ContactCenter.com. "Optimistic leadership means operating with the knowledge that the company is prepared to navigate what it may face because of its strong leadership and strategic planning. It's about projecting confidence to your team in their ability to overcome, and refocusing them on the solution, not the problem."
There are various ways to ingrain a spirit of optimism into one's leadership style but the results of it are clear. "When you develop a leadership style rooted in optimism, you'll earn the deepest of trust from those around you very early on," notes Deepak Agarwal. "Once you've gained this trust, people will be motivated to put in extra effort and go the extra mile, becoming more invested in the business."
To develop an optimistic style of leadership, Dee Agarwal recommends starting with the following elements.
1. Develop a Foundation of Transparency and Trust
Blind optimism is usually seen as untrustworthy. When you only share good news or wins with employees, they can begin to wonder what is being held back, making them less likely to believe the positive news.
To lead with optimism, leaders must first build trust through transparency. Employees have to believe what you tell them is true. Establish this important precedent by being honest about the wins and the losses. Use mistakes as learning opportunities and when uncertainty arises, communicate early and often with the team so they know there is a plan and they don't feel caught off guard.
"You must remain positive in spite of obstacles or setbacks. Those things make you more dynamic as a leader," says Dee Agarwal. "A central aspect of being an optimistic leader is using failure and uncertainty as a learning opportunity, and remaining positive and composed, even when it may look like people are losing faith."
This optimism is key to keeping spirits high no matter the circumstances and maintaining forward motion, but it must be backed by transparency and trust.
2. Be prepared
It is hard to be authentically optimistic without a plan in place to navigate the company through the challenge. Central to optimistic leadership is being prepared. Leaders should spend time identifying vulnerabilities in both the marketplace and their organization. There should be established contingency plans and investments should be made in areas that strengthen identified weakness, whether that be in staff, technology, or services.
"As a leader and entrepreneur, I spent a lot of time planning for the worst-case scenario," explained Dee Agarwal. "I also invested a lot of time forecasting the various ways my business could grow and pivot in face of different opportunities and challenges. This process gave me immense confidence that I and my team were prepared for whatever came next and allowed me to project this assurance and belief to my team."
While all challenges cannot be predicted, such as the impact of the global pandemic, leaders can make sure they are responsive by regularly revisiting their business strategy in the midst of shifts and taking decisive action when necessary.
3. Building Emotional Intelligence is Key
Emotional intelligence, or learning to understand and read your employees' mindsets, is also key to developing the characteristics of an optimistic leader. Team members and employees are people first and foremost and strong leaders keep this in mind when engaging, coaching, and motivating.
Leaders with strong emotional intelligence are better able to detect when their teams are struggling or when the stress of uncertainty may be inhibiting performance. Speaking to employees both about the obstacles and the emotions these challenges can bring can help assuage the fears, self-doubt, and frustrations that prevent success. It is in these times when optimism takes the form of encouragement and support — helping employees realize they are capable of achieving the goals set before them.
"Being observant and communicating in an emotionally intelligent way can drastically alter the outcome of a situation," says Deepak Agarwal. "Optimistic leadership isn't about telling people nice things so they feel better, but relating to your team in an honest and human way, while reinforcing your belief in their ability and providing the coaching needed.
4. Model Optimism at All Times
Lastly, another step for developing an optimistic approach to leadership is to your view yourself as a resource and model for those in the organization. While the size of the organization may prevent leaders from knowing every person by name, remember that employees know their leaders by name and look to them as examples of what it takes to succeed.
In times of uncertainty, employees turn to their leaders for guidance and assurance and often model their responses. If employees see leaders who embrace challenges with optimism, proactivity, and innovation, they will likely do the same. Likewise, if every setback is seen as a catastrophe, employees will likely find themselves mired in stress and gloom.
"While everyone can expect to have off days," says Deepak Agarwal, "it is the role of optimistic leaders to establish the standard for the organization that is reflected in every situation, good or bad. Setting an optimistic tone at the top will influence the employees and create the motivation to continue to move the organization forward in challenging times.
For a more in-depth look at top leadership qualities, read Deepak Agarwal's Four Leadership Principles by Which to Live
Contact: Andrew Mitchell
Email: media@cambridgeglobalmedia.com
Phone: 404-955-7133
SOURCE: Deepak Agarwal
View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/620188/Deepak-Agarwal-on-the-Importance-of-Optimistic-Leadership
