Riding the Tiger: Learning Strategies for Leaders in Turbulent Times

Only 3 weeks until the deadline for the contents of our new book to the publisher...here is an excerpt.
 
Chapter 3: LIGHTS ON

“Angry, panic-stricken, or fearful that people may create the frenzy of activity associated with false urgency, which can make any situation worse.” John P. Kotter, author of A Sense of Urgency

In his resignation letter to the company’s board of directors, Ramalinga Raju stated: “I am now prepared to subject myself to the laws of land and face consequences thereof.” Yet, around the world, Satyam employees were not prepared to subject themselves to the consequences. They feared for their own livelihoods and for the impact it would have on their families. Few companies survive such an onslaught so certainly there could be massive layoffs ahead. Were the leaders and the culture properly prepared for these circumstances? This presented a major challenge.

Take a deep breath. Hold it. Now exhale. In times of the crisis sometimes we become so panicked we forget to breath. Take another deep breath…hold it and exhale. Take one more deep breath as much as you can take in; now hold it; then exhale with a loud sigh.

Hold Everything.

Act, react. Adrenaline flowing. The first urge is to react. In his book, Winners Never Cheat, Jon Huntsman writes; “A crisis allows us the opportunity to dig deep into the reservoirs of our very being, to rise to levels of confidence, strength, and resolve that otherwise we didn’t possess. Through adversity we come face to face with who we really are and what really counts.” (Huntsman 2009)

Our response; hold everything. When faced with turbulence, regardless of the magnitude, we believe the first step is—put everything on hold. Even if for only 24 hours, put everything on hold to determine a response. Most likely, the rest of the organization will be doing the same thing as they absorb what has happened. We know this sounds counter intuitive however a hasty reaction is not the right response.

Riding the Tiger, published by ASTD Press will be available in May 2010.  We will continue to post excerpts as well as our views on leadership in today's globally connect world.