Momentum Challenges of Leaders

You have internal leadership challenges, and there are challenges that stretch your skills and abilities. But you could argue that the challenges that stem from momentum top them all. 

Sometimes the biggest challenges come when the unexpected happens – a natural disaster, economic upheaval. even a global pandemic.

These are the times when we most need to step up as leaders. And they’re the pressure-cooker moments that expose just how hard effective leadership can be.

Here’s a list of momentum challenges we’re all likely to face –

KEEPING EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE.

Every time you gather a group of people and they bring their backgrounds, experiences and feelings to the table, it’s a challenge to get them all moving in the same direction.

It’s critical for the success of your organization to have alignment with a common vision, purpose and understanding of what it means to win, and it takes continuous attention and communication to make it happen.

DEALING WITH CONFLICT.

Conflict is part of life. And it’s most definitely part of every team and organization. Effective leadership means embracing the fact that conflict has to happen—but that there’s a way for conflict to be constructive.

It means tough conversations. Sometimes it hurts, but conflict can be incredibly healthy for an organization that’s willing to grow out of it. It’s up to you as the leader to steer conflict toward productive resolution.

DELIVERING BAD NEWS.

Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but that doesn’t make it any easier to be the bearer of bad news. Sometimes leadership means having to deliver the bad news about what went wrong or what needs to change. 

It can be challenging to be in that position, but it’s the leader’s calling to be clear and decisive. Bad news can be dramatic – it’s your job to deliver it and manage it in a way that stifles drama before it contaminates your culture.

STAYING POSITIVE.

In a time of crisis, negative is probably how you’re feeling – but your team needs to see hope. Exhibiting leadership in tough times takes an extra measure of patience and empathy. 

Teams look to their leaders as a beacon in difficult circumstances. As hard as it can be, you need to model the positivity they’re looking for.

It can be an incredible challenge to stay calm when it feels like the wheels are falling off. But that’s exactly what your people need to see from you when the going gets tough. They need to see a leader who stays levelheaded during a crisis.

BEING CLEAR AND HONEST.

It’s also tempting to sugarcoat things or withhold information, to take “staying positive” a step too far. Maybe there’s real danger to the organization, and you’d rather insulate your team from it. 

But the best way to lead through a crisis is to prioritize clarity over comfort. Be real. Be transparent. It’s not the path of least resistance, by any means, but making the effort to shoot straight with your team, even if it’s not easy to hear, can only strengthen your organization.

Which of these challenges have you faced or are currently facing? How do you plan to overcome them?