Silver Lining: Down-Economy Rewards the Resilient, By Winslow Swart

                                              The San Antonio Jewish Journal, April 1st, 2011


Resilient leadership - a definition: Resilient leaders posses high-levels of emotional and social intelligence, manage well in a crisis, can assess the scale and scope of a situation, have sense of urgency, see the big picture, know what is controllable, enable others to act, encourage the heart, are in service of others, and hold themselves accountable for results.            

The economic down-turn has certainly had its’ share of negative impacts these past two years, but there are also some positives. Those engaged in leadership development have been provided with optimal conditions for forging the temperament and resolve of resilient leadership - conditions wrought with challenge and adversity.            

In the synagogue, we encourage one-another with expressions of yasher koach, may you be strengthened and chazak v’amaytz, strength and courage, as we endeavor to take the lessons and values of Torah into our daily lives. Whatever one’s system of values, remaining rooted in those values when meeting life’s greatest challenges is a characteristic of resilient leadership.

Dare to dream and inspire others to do the same. Nearly all leadership development models include drawing forth and articulating a vision. To do so while under siege can seem like leap-frogging the basics of Maslow’s hierarchy. It is the trademark, however, of resilient leaders to dream, and dream boldly, even in the most difficult of times. My mother dreamed big when she was a prisoner in three nazi-concentration camps. While some of her dreams were about having the basics in life-food, clothing etc., she also aspired to having a family - and much more. She survived went on to become one of fastest women in the world in Olympic track and field. 

Your core values will be tested. When faced with insurmountable economic challenges, and when the survival of companies and jobs are at stake, it is easy to become prey to Machiavelli thinking- the end will justify the means. It is not only the results that speak, but how those results were achieved. It takes a higher level of commitment and resolve to remain true to one’s core and the organization’s core ideologies when up-against-the-ropes. This is always a story worth telling.

Take risks and win by losing.  Not every tactic or campaign launched in order to “save the ship” will work-out as planned. A lot of what used to work just doesn’t any more. The game has changed and so must a leader’s strategies. With radical structural changes in the marketplace, including e-commerce and social media, leaders must become change experts. Leaders set the tone, and the fundamentals of leading and managing change are now essential arrows for the quiver. By building-in contingencies for mis-fires and creating a highly adaptive learning organization, teams will not be as discouraged by set-backs. Interestingly, the 3M Company rewards failure as a means to encourage risk-taking and innovation.

Retention is key. Being “a great place to work and a great place to do business with” when times are tough is something to remain vigilant about and to be proud of.  The heart and soul of any firm is its’ people and doing everything possible for them is a winning formula. Celebrate, reward, and recognize, and do so consistently. Southwest Airlines resolved not to lay-off any employees right after 9-11, and has continued to build an enduring, world-class organization, despite overwhelming conditions.

Culture and Equilibrium.  Creating a customer and employee experience that engenders repeat business and full-engagement is reflective of the leader’s equilibrium and the culture they create.  While under duress, it is vital for both formal and informal leaders to have what is called in Japanese fudo-shin, inner-calm – to be the calm in the eye of the storm. While maintaining the appropriate sense of urgency, mission, and focus, addressing and resolving dysfunctional stress is critical.

The best forms of leadership development do not take place within a vacuum. The best way to test a leader’s growth and development, and measure that growth, is when the stakes are high. Circumstances that challenge individuals and organizations to create results and deliver value, especially in difficult times, can serve as a vehicle for anchoring leadership development.

"Leadership Training is Back in Vogue" by Winslow Swart

                                          Express-News, March 1st, 2011


The chief financial officer asks his CEO, “What happens if we invest in the training of our people, and then they leave the company?” The CEO answers, “What happens if we don't, and they stay?”

Leadership training took a hiatus. Ask almost any business or leadership consultant how well their business has been doing over the past two years and you'll get the same answer, “Not very.”

The economic downturn let the wind out of the sails of many industries, and the field of training and development was no exception. Companies forced to focus only on the bottom line sacrificed many of the things they wanted to do and resigned themselves to the things they had to do just to survive.

We are now beginning to see the pendulum swing, and business are beginning to reinvest in their people.

Leadership training is not just for the large firms. Over the past few years, there has been a grass-roots movement, fueled by the need for resilience and led by owners, managers and CEOs of small companies who had found themselves in a fight for survival and were seeking an edge. Book clubs and self-led leadership development cells emerged as a micro-trend.

Now that the economy is on the upswing, the needs are recognized, the interest is peaked, and leadership consulting firms are going back to work. Car dealership groups, nonprofit boards, technology service firms and small entrepreneurs are now seeking guidance and facilitation in improving their leadership acumen.

Wise business leaders and consultants will take a best-fit approach, assess needs, evaluate resources, and then come up with a solution. There are plenty of consulting firms running around with a solution looking for a problem, but that only gives leadership development a bad rap.

What can firms expect from leadership training? Once an initial training session has been conducted, a series of micro-events, coaching, and check-ins is best advised.

The throughput of initial goals, objectives, and commitments require a degree of mutual accountability and transparency. Team members are much more likely to follow through with their personal and shared performance goals if they know they will be reporting or sharing their progress with others. Coaching helps overcome learning and growth obstacles and the resistance to changes in behavior, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs.

Leadership training outcomes might include:

Increased levels of ownership and accountability for results.

A stronger sense of purpose and mission.

The ability to reward and recognize others for their accomplishments.

Being a better leader through deeper commitment and service to others.

Increased levels of confidence as leaders find their voice and identify core values.

The ability to lead change, manage crisis and inspire others to do the same.

An improved sense of calm and equilibrium.

Next steps: There are several good resources to be found on the Web, and conversations with colleagues and peers can generate several ideas on how to proceed. Many consulting firms offer complimentary needs assessment interviews that can also be quite helpful.



Read more