Leading Through a Downturn

I recently facilitated a Leading Through a Downturn session for leaders in the energy industry.  Knowing you’re in a cyclical business doesn’t make the downturn any less painful.

Impact of a Leader

Leadership can have a huge impact on whether companies and people survive or thrive. Warren Bennis, an organizational consultant and author of many books on leadership, said, “A leader doesn’t just get the message across. A leader is the message.”

Recipe for Success

In an exercise on creating a “Secret Sauce for Successful Leaders” my client team identified these ingredients:  vision, communication, confidence, positive role modeling, reliability, trustworthiness and transparency. They also suggested adding generous dashes of encouragement, motivation, appreciation, fun, coaching, caring and steadiness.

Next steps included “How to Avoid Burning Your Fingers” – developing a plan for dealing with potential distractions that might prevent them from using their secret sauce — and “Why We Shouldn’t Skip Dessert” — celebrating successes in ways that motivate people.   Check out https://csbryan.com/dont-burn-your-fingers/ to find out what happened.