LEADERSHIP AMIDST CHAOS. Dr. James Baird, CAHI, FACHE College Campus Chair, School of Business El Paso, Texas Campus

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1 LEADERSHIP AMIDST CHAOS Dr. James Baird, CAHI, FACHE College Campus Chair, School of Business El Paso, Texas Campus

2 Challenging Times We are living in an era where there are some of the worst leaders ever in the history of business in the United States. In challenging economic times this leads to: greed, much hubris, unethical behavior, poor development of relationships, very poor leadership styles, poor employee engagement and empowerment, as well as, despicable behavior and treatment of employees. This leads to decreased productivity and eventually, disaster. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID HOW DO WE LEAD SUCCESSFULLY AMIDST CHAOS? 2

3 Check Your Ego You cannot know everything - You do not know everything! You will need other people to survive the chaos. Arrogance and ego just does not work, this means that you will have to follow a basic Leadership principle. You will have to build relationships with people and put others first ahead of yourself. You will have to give employees a sense of control, something that makes a difference. In a crisis, leaders make sure everyone is focused, engaged, and empowered.

4 Empowerment Let your people fly and brainstorm ideas freely. This enables you to work through a process where we are coming up with ideas together as a team. This will build teamwork and facilitate open as well as honest communication. Give them freedom to try new things that include change orientated behavior and innovation Make sure everyone understands the values / ethics and follows them to the letter Include everyone, however, do not point fingers.

5 Be a Servant Leader Being a Servant Leader means always being the Leadership expert. That is knowing when to lead and when to get out of the way. Do not micromanage, simply check in with your folks on a periodic and consistent basis asking is there anything you need, how may I help you? Be visible around the organization, building relationships by putting a face to your position. KNOW YOUR BUSINESS.. This means keeping up with the times and trends of the industry.

6 Build a Guiding Coalition Putting together a group with enough power to lead change Getting the group to work together like a team Position power key players Expertise various points of view Credibility good reputations and values Leadership proven leaders

7 Getting Control The only way to keep control is by sharing it with others. Fear chills minds and kills companies. When employees have confidence and do not to feel threatened, you will benefit when then do great work. This means you must empower them to do their job, with proper training, motivation, and an excellent environment to work in.

8 Establish a Sense of Urgency Establishing a sense of urgency is crucial in gaining needed cooperation. Examining the market and competitive realities. Identifying and discussing immediate crises, potential crises, or major opportunities. Change requires great cooperation, initiative and willingness to make sacrifices from many employees.

9 Communicating The Change Vision Using every vehicle possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies. Having the guiding coalition role model the behavior expected of employees. Occum s razon Simplicity.. not technical Metaphor, analogy, parable, and example Multiple forums Repetition Leadership by example

10 Do Not Take Advantage Do not take advantage of low turnover and a tight job market to exploit your employees, just because you can. Exploit your employees now, and they will take their revenge the first chance they get. This leads to mistrust, devastation, low morale, decreased productivity, general malaise, disengagement, and then general death for the organization. If you take care of your employees during bad times they will take care of the organization during good times.

11 Decisiveness You have seen them - they wait for information, then more information before making a decision; Then they need more information to support the information they already have. Then they need a committee to analyze the information. Then sadly the decision makes itself, and it is usually not the best decision by any means of the word! Good leaders make decisions based on past experience as well as quantitative information. GOODNESS, MAKE THE DECISION!

12 Decisiveness Good things happen when you take action; you grow, you adapt, you learn, and your team grows in this same way. The worst quality you can show your team is indecision. There is no perfect time to make a decision and there never will be. MAKE THE DECISION AND GO FOR IT!

13 Vision This is the ability to see what others do not or will not. Outstanding leaders can not only see their team for what they can do, but what they can become; You may have to paint the picture for them. These leaders are consistently communicating and coaching their team members to that vision. Develop team members personal vision, help them with their personal goals and tie them into the organizations vision.

14 Allow for the Natural Reaction of Your Staff Regardless of the challenge, you need to allow for your employees to share their feelings. During this process, realize that everyone has different feelings and has a unique process for dealing with the situation at hand. Take the time to talk to employees individually or in groups and create a space where they can be open. If you do not, employees may feel unimportant and will not want to move past this initial phase. Once you allow employees to get their feelings out they will start to move forward.

15 Allow Yourself Support Sometimes the hardest thing for most leaders to do is to receive support from their employees. Realize though, that you often see your staff at their best during a challenge; They will step up to the plate and take on more responsibility So rather than think you need to do everything yourself and keep your feelings bottled up, delegate tasks and share your feelings with employees in a positive way. As long as your honest, your employees may want to help in any way they can.

16 Lead your Organization Beyond the Challenge If you do the preceding, then your staff may feel that they are important and that they have the power to make serious change. So at this point you need to identify the opportunities that are apparent. If you have listened to your staff, chances are they will point out new ideas you may never have thought of. No matter how limited you may feel your options are at this point, stay positive and proactive, you will then push through to better times.

17 Seize the Opportunity to Review Priorities A slowdown is actually a good time to reconfirm your organizations purpose and vision. Determine which core values and processes will help you through the downturn. Suspend or eliminate initiatives that may not improve your position once the economy is back on track. Take advantage of this time to retool and sharpen your saw s in order to realize greater capability during the next boom.

18 Be A Positive Role Model Model the behavior you want your staff to exhibit; Encourage stress reduction techniques to enhancegroup effectiveness. Resist the temptation to declare martial law. Engage others respectfully, avoid the overuse /misuse of positional power; Be open and direct with staff, communicate to provide explanations for important decisions. Do not sacrifice integrity for desperation, you may never be able to rebuild your reputation with your team.

19 Have Fearless Enthusiasm The economic downturn does not need to paralyze your organization with fear and anxiety. Be strong, focused, relentless and kind to everyone. Stay on track and adapt when you hit bumps in the road. Remember that vulnerability can breed great growth, if handled correctly. IF YOU WANT CONTROL YOUR GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE IT UP!

20 References Harkins, P. (2010). Leading in hard times. Leadership Excellence. Retrieved from Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (2012). Leading in Cynical Times. Journal of Management Inquiry (14)4. Retrieved from Uba, C. (2011). Leading in difficulty times. Ivey Business Journal Online. Retrieved from

21 Thank you! Dr. James Baird