As business owners none of us are new to navigating uncertainty, yet the current social landscape is unprecedented, at least for our generation, and we find ourselves caught in a whirlwind of global proportion. Certainty for financial stability is low, anxiety levels are high, and fear is having a field day across industries, countries and generations.

Our brains have a strong distaste for ambiguity, so we stay glued to the news looking for answers – good or bad, that might shed some light on what’s next while we ride the rollercoaster of emotions as part of a package deal . The truth is, we just don’t know how this is going to play out.

So how do we, as leaders, stay engaged and keep our teams engaged in the midst of all this when we’re feeling rather powerless?

Take a moment

Making any kind of decision in a moment of panic is guaranteed to rebound, so before you do anything – breathe. Literally, take a breath, or two, or three. Ground yourself in the present moment. Acknowledge everything that’s flooding your brain and body and just let it be. Bottled up emotions have the sneaky habit of resurfacing. Let them flow through you so you can release them and be present to the problem at hand. If you’re having trouble quieting your brain, linked is a guided meditation to help centre yourself in the midst of what might feel like chaos. 

Address the elephant in the room

There is no doubt that your team and those around you are grappling with the same questions and concerns you have. Acknowledge those fears, speak of them freely, model for others how expressing doubt, anger, sadness, or concern is warmly welcomed. It might sound counterintuitive, but as a leader, vulnerability in uncertain times is your biggest strength. In this workbook, are some questions and prompts you can ask your team, and yourself, to encourage them to open up about what they are feeling.

Re-evaluate your “shoulds”

Forced pauses are just not fun, regardless of the catalyst. And yet, they can be a blessing in disguise. As we’ve built and shaped our businesses, some of the decisions we’ve made with regards to how we do business have likely, subconsciously, come from how we believe things should be. We now have the time and opportunity to evaluate how many of those shoulds are actually true, how many are really serving us, and decide what to replace them with. Where in your business are things not flowing smoothly and efficiently? If you look carefully enough, there’s a strong chance you’ll discover a should that needs replacing. You can refer to the workbook for some prompts to help you think through what might need some tweaking.

Reassess who you want in your corner

The moment you hang up your shingle of ‘Business Owner’ the swarm of experts telling you what you need or don’t need or should or shouldn’t do to be successful, is overwhelming. And in times of uncertainty – such as these, you don’t have to go far to find experts ready to feed your fear under the guise of ‘wanting to help’. The temptation to give these people space will be strong as their outside voice will strongly resemble your inside voice and you’ll be inclined to believe they are right. Be very selective with who you allow in your corner. Don’t panic buy. Think big picture. Is the advice of this person in service of your future self and the future of your business? If not, run.

Focus only on the next step

Most business owners are strategic thinkers; that’s part of the reason they went into business in the first place. So, navigating blindly without clearly seeing the next 5+ steps can feel disempowering. The good news is action brings clarity. Every step you take reveals the next, similar to driving through the fog where the road reveals itself as you inch forward. Rather than focusing on finding THE solution to the current crisis, which at this time may be out of your control, what is one small action you can take that you do have control over? Maybe it’s filing the stack of papers that have been collecting dust on your desk for months or reaching out to other businesses in the area to form partnerships and help each other when we all come back to “business as usual” or maybe it’s brainstorming with your team some of the lessons learned from the current situation so you are better equipped for the next apocalypse? The idea is to focus your energy on whatever is in your control. It may sound futile, but it will give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment, help you feel a little less lost in this chaos and who knows, maybe like Isaac Newton who formulated his law of universal gravitation while “social distancing” during the bubonic plague, you’ll be struck by an idea that will transform your business. One foot in front of another as the path reveals itself. You can refer to the workbook for some prompts to help you identify what your next, first step might be.

Look for the light

Humans are hardwired with a negativity bias. We have a tendency to look for – and find, the broken parts, we revel in gossip and are 5-10 times more likely to share a bad experience than a good one. The trouble with this is staring into the void only reveals more void. When we focus on what’s not working all we end up finding is more things to fix. Yet, in every situation, no matter how dire, there is always light. It might be dim, faint and distant, but it’s there and when you focus on what’s working you prime your brain to be in solution-finding mode; you feed it possibilities and it lights up like a Christmas tree. What possibilities are present for you, now that you’re not rushing from task to task? What opportunities has this dip in the market possibly created for your business? Do an inventory of what is working for you. Look for the light. That’s where the end of the tunnel is. In the workbook, I’ve included a few prompts to help redirect your attention to things you can build on.

Practice compassion

Putting aside all positive strategies, it’s fair to feel whatever you and your team are feeling now. Everyone is scared and ill equipped to deal with the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Therefore, the invitation to have compassion, for others yes, but more so for yourself, is almost mandatory if we want to stand a fair chance of making it to the other side of this. Be kind to yourself and remember that we are all doing the best we can.

In closing, if you or any of your teammates are feeling overwhelmed by the current situation, please reach out and ask for help. It takes courage to raise your hand and admit you need support. Be brave and stay healthy. And if you do not feel comfortable speaking with anyone in your network, for whatever reason, my door is always open. No strings attached, no catch. Just a welcoming hand, an open heart and a judgement-free space for you to just be. You can reach me through email ombretta@ownyourstep.com or phone at +44 20 3239 5233.

Ombretta Mancini, ACC, ELI-MP

Certified Coach and Facilitator – Own Your Step Consulting