Leadership During Times of Extreme Fear

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

In business, it is common to live with fear.

Can I meet my key performance indicators

Will I meet or exceed my sales quotas?

Can we meet our coding goals to deliver the project early so we can look like heroes to our users?

Will marketing allow us/me to be seen as a leader with campaigns that rain revenue?

Will we be able to receive what we need for manufacturing to deliver to our customers?

These are ordinary fears that cause what we think of as “normal stress” that, with time may percolate into burnout.

However, in times of extreme change, such as sudden inflation, international conflict, whether real or threatened, or domestic unrest, it is common for staff and leaders alike to experience extreme shocks with cortisol spikes, weight gain, substance abuse and relationship issues at home and work. Everyone begins asking questions in a desire to seek the certainty that is not available. What can we do when there is no playbook for what to do?

1. Meet with your trusted advisers and/or coach regularly. You need people you trust to seek counsel from. Don’t go it alone.