Have you noticed that some of your employees are less productive, just when you need them most? Some people are frozen in place from fear, while others are innovating, trying new things and challenging the status quo. Harvard Business Review posted an article on the need for flexible, positive leadership, quoting futurist Alvin Toffler.
“The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
The path forward is not clear. We need innovation to survive and thrive. And innovation demands that we all develop our patience and persistence, while our leaders must demonstrate optimism and enthusiasm. This is the time to step up and take risks, making plenty of mistakes along the way.
If your key people do not have the skills to thrive in this market, it might be trade-in time. In an earlier post, I mentioned how to hire for resilience – and patience, persistence, optimism and enthusiasm are essential to resilience. I’ve heard it said that you can’t trust someone who has not failed at something, learned and bounced back.
Look around you, do you see resilience and indomitable spirit or just people trying to look good by avoiding mistakes and placing blame on external factors?