How I'm Leading in Uncertainty

In this post I answer the same questions I asked three different seasoned leaders around how to lead and make decisions in the midst of uncertainty.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Here's the questions:

1. What is your leadership role/responsibility?

I am a husband and father of four young adults.

I lead Heaven in Business - a ministry that operates like a business but under the non-profit ownership structure of a church. I am responsible to lead the vision and team, generate the revenue, steward the resources... plus I am part of a larger organization... plus that organization has influence globally. We help you partner with God at work and engage in the wellbeing of the city you serve. We do that through conferences, retreats and a membership platform.

In addition I lead Authentic Solutions which is a business I started last year to help you and your business gain clarity for what's next and the courage to do it - through courses, coaching and mastermind groups.

2. What has been the hardest decision recently you have had to make?

A) Stay home. No travel. Working from home. We chose as a family to follow the CDC guidelines and only do essential meetings in person. This is primarily to protect the wellbeing of one of my children who has vulnerable health and also what we believed was most responsible as a community leader.

B) Let go staff. We have dropped from five employees to one. Telling someone their income is halving or ending is difficult.

C) Change/delay events that significantly affect my budget.

3. How did you make it?

Spoke to my wife and kids.

Heard from God

Did the numbers.

Prayed.

Spoke to personal advisors (people who have wisdom, maturity and results).

Spoke with staff.

Wrestled internally!

4. What do you do when there is great uncertainty, no perfect answer, things you need to decide, and God is silent about specifics?

Get alone. I love to run or hike up behind my house. When I get up a hill I can physically see further. It's the same mentally - clear's my head, helps my perspective.

Advisors (starting with my wife Janine who has been my best coach!)

Conviction. Protect your conscience above all else. Follow your conviction. Listen to that still, small voice. If you have hesitation, LISTEN.

Take little steps. What could I test? What small cuts could I make today so I don't have to make drastic cuts in a month?

Do the numbers. Budget. Analyze. Do sensitivity analysis: "What if this factor changed by 25%? What if the timing was delayed by 25%....?"

5. Have you gotten decisions wrong? How do you lead knowing you won’t be right all the time and people/outcomes can be brutal?

Delayed letting someone go. Cost them and cost me AND it cost the team.

Delayed confronting someone. Cost them and cost me. I cannot afford NOT to say something.

6. How do you overcome fear of failure or what people will say?

Ford Taylor (see Transformational Leadership Course and book Relactional Leadership) processes are helping significantly.

I've been meeting with a qualified marriage and family therapist almost weekly for the last year. That decision in hindsight was GENIUS. She has been really helpful navigating head trash, emotional upheaval and healthy boundaries.

Get used to it. Nobody is perfect. We are all doing our best.

Get more anchored in who I am in God.

7. How do you stay humble and not hard-hearted in most of adversity and/or injustice?

Forgiveness: Self AND others.

"Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing."

Reading Word daily, reading other books - Humility by RT Kendall

Gratitude.

What about you?

What are the keys that you are learning in leading and making decisions in the midst of uncertainty? Don't hesitate to let us know by sending an email to [email protected]