LEADERSHIP
Leading During Tough Times
By CS , Dr . Kellen Kiambati
There are times when a leader must make decisions to move forward without seeking other people ’ s approval . This is what we call tough times but as tough as it is , it really is the time to be courageous enough to define who one really is .
Leaders must be willing to do things others are unwilling to do and put themselves on the line . A leader cannot play everything safe and expect to take their followers forward at the same time . They must perfect the art and science of taking and managing risks .
It is important to note that all risky battles are waged within self because if the path were clear , it would not be a tough call . More often than not , the battle occurs far from the spotlight of the leadership and casual followers will not even be aware that it is happening .
The leaders are therefore called upon to remain faithful even when no one is cheering and stand-alone even when misunderstood if they want to have integrity and be effective .
When an organization has momentum , nearly anyone from anywhere can lead because all that is needed is to find the direction people are moving and then stand in front of them . When the momentum is lost , that is when leaders deserve their pay because only effective ones can lead at such a time . They make tough decisions and distinguish themselves .
Therefore , good leaders do not sit and pray for an easy time . They embrace tough times because they prove their relevance . If everything is smooth , then people in the organization will not need them . The tragedy is if such tough moments find leaders unprepared for that which I consider the finest leadership moment .
The question is how should they prepare themselves ? The willingness to do small things , difficult things and the unseen things is the secret to preparing for the major difficult things ahead of them .
All leaders will at one point or another feel the need and desire to please people rather than lead them effectively . A leader must be true to the vision and the people even when it is not popular to do so . Over the years , I have discovered that it is one of the major burdens of leadership . Largely because sometimes , their idea or ideas are not popular with the most supportive people in the organization ,
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When an organization has momentum , nearly anyone from anywhere can lead because all that ’ s needed is to find the direction people are moving and then stand in front of them . When the momentum is lost , that ’ s when leaders deserve their pay because only effective ones can lead at such a time . making the leader torn between popularity or doing the right thing .
When a right person is the leader of an organization , he or she does better during tough times . The first step is winning the initial victory on the inside so as to have the security to win the external battles .
There is need to spend time convincing self about various courses of action before trying to convince others in the organization . In the convinced state , leaders will have courage to see the decisions they make through and to the aftermath of their decisions .
CS , Dr . Kellen Kiambati holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the Kenya Methodist University and a PhD in Business Administration with a focus in Strategic Management from JKUAT . She is a member of the Institute of Human Resource Management of Kenya . She can be reached via : Kellenkiambati @ gmail . com .
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