Reflections from sitting in a room full of 600-plus change makers
The positive energy of so many change makers in one room is something you feel immediately.
Last November, I sat in a conference room packed with 600-plus nonprofit leaders. We were nearing the end of a year that wreaked a new form of havoc and uncertainty on a sector devoted to creating change on issues that most impact our communities. These issues are complex. They are not easily solved. They are underfunded. The problems we seek to impact are both inspiring and exhausting all at once. But when you get many change makers in a room, it reminds me of this Ethiopian proverb: When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.
I registered for this conference not certain I would know a single person in attendance. I wondered if it would be worth my time and money. But then I walked in. I felt a sense of safety that has been less common for me in recent years. This feeling grew as I engaged in small-group conversations—some initiated by others near me, some by me, and some curated by speakers who had prepared thoughtfully for the topic at hand. A common theme emerged in many of these conversations, prompting reflection (for me) on what it means to lead in such uncertain times.
This year promises to be little different, except that perhaps we now know to expect some of the uncertainty that might come our way. In the last year, more and more leaders have reached out requesting help with building the culture they want for their organizations. It is inspiring to work with leaders who battle these complex issues to exhaustion and who also understand that their staff teams are on the front lines and need lots and lots of support. So, as the year begins, I offer five thoughts on how to lead in a way that creates a culture of care and engagement for your team.
1. It all starts with your own self-care.
Self-care requires an intentional rhythm of doing things outside your to-do list and spending time with other change makers.
Self-care is not waiting until you are so exhausted that your muscles won’t move, your brain won’t turn on, and you sleep through three alarms before taking a sick day. Self-care happens long before that. I do not always lead by example on this one, but in moments like this conference, or coming off a planned break, clear-headed, I’m reminded how important it is.
So, find a coach, a peer change-maker, or a small group of nonprofit leaders with whom you will carve out time at least once a quarter. Also, block off one hour every work week where you put the to-do list away and reflect, journal, plan in a visionary or long-range way, read something that inspires your work, or (if your leadership role keeps you removed from the daily beauty of your mission in action) simply go sit and observe a staff interaction with a child, a meal delivery, etc.
2. Fewer get up on a rainy day without a clear vision.
From CEOs to frontline staff to administrative workers, we all have aspects of our duties that we don’t like. And when we are tired, there are even more parts we like less. It is the vision for the change we’re working toward that inspires us to get up. It is the understanding of how our daily work fits into the broader mission that makes it easier to trudge through the rain on a cold, windy day.
Timothy Clark says: “Part of a leader’s role is to paint a portrait of the future and inspire others toward it. In extreme uncertainty, a vision gives people lasting motivation beyond the survival instinct to perform work and absorb stress.” (Harvard Business Review, What Employees Need from Leaders in Uncertain Times)
Are you clear on your vision? And what are the ways you constantly reiterate not only what it is, but how the work of those you supervise ties into making it a reality?
3. Everything comes back to trust. Your vision doesn’t matter unless you’re trusted—and trust starts in the trenches.
Lencioni talks about trust as the foundation of everything for healthy teams. Countless researchers and leaders talk about trust as being earned over time…in the trenches.
I am currently serving in an interim leadership role, working with a team on their long-term strategy as well as some team-culture issues. On my first day of one-on-one listening sessions, one team member mentioned a supervisor whom she “loved.”
“What did you like so much about her?” I asked.
“She never asked me to do anything she wasn’t willing to do herself,” she said.
There you have it. It starts in the trenches. I’m not suggesting that CEOs have time to do all the roles in the office, but there is a time and place for listening, and when a culture of care is modeled at any level…it permeates over time.
4. Communication is care—or in the words of Brené Brown, clear is kind.
Never have I worked with a team that says they have communication fully figured out. However, some feel it is as good as anywhere they have worked—and that is often because things are communicated regularly at all levels.
Clear communication means projecting into the future as much as you can, especially when there is uncertainty. It means asking people at all levels for their input on how decisions might impact their roles so you can plan accordingly. It means communicating how your decisions tie into your overall vision. It also means ensuring that those you supervise are communicating the same message…which can be a challenge.
If you need help in this area with your team, feel free to reach out. It is not easy, and if communication has gone really wrong in your organization, it has likely become part of your culture and will take some support to work through.
5. When you are unclear, it is okay to say it.
Someone once told me that she learned from me that it is okay to say, “I think I need some time to think about that.” But in the uncertain times we face, even with reflection time, sometimes the answer is simply: “I’m not sure.”
And that is okay.
Your team will relax, and you will inspire greater trust, if you explain why you can’t yet give them a full answer or projection. Tell them what you can. Tell them why you can’t make a final decision. Tell them the possible scenarios. That will help them sleep at night. It will help you sleep at night. It will build trust. And it will make it easier for you to lead.
P.S Book a free 30-minute call to talk through what’s happening in your organization’s culture or explore how HD can support your leadership.