Leaders Pivot their communication and actions in a crisis!

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Ideas spark hope.

Email newsletter - April 30, 2020

Great leaders think different. They pivot. They see challenges and crises as turning points and opportunities to scale up and move forward. It is not time to get stuck and “wait and see.”

They see the world with so many different possibilities and connections. Some are complex. Some are so easy, we think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Why did I think of the Pet Rock and make a million dollars? Why didn’t I think of combining a hamburger place and a playground that resulted in a whole new attraction for family dining? Why didn’t I find the cure for polio?

Great leaders take their ideas and act on them. They continually pivot. They see possibilities, opportunities, new solutions, therapies and cures. They may acknowledge barriers and obstacles, but the value and benefits far outweigh risks and mistakes (learning moments in the process for success.)

Your Vocabulary Drives your Thinking and Your Actions

The pivot begins with the right thinking. It is a shift to transform and add value! 

Can people pivot when there’s a crisis?

If you are in or lead an organization, the vocabulary that people use is a reflection of the direction it is going. It doesn’t take a long conversation with an executive team to assess and predict if they are floundering and struggling and on the path to failure or if they are making progress, innovating, and on the road to success.

Can they think different and adapt? Can they create and innovate? Can they focus and prioritize?

Here are two companies and the language their managers and teams use:

COMPANY A

  • Blame

  • Reduce

  • Layoffs

  • Lay Low

  • Fear

  • Eliminate

  • Cut Costs

  • Stress

  • No. I can’t.

  • Failure

COMPANY B

  • Wow

  • Opportunities

  • Serve

  • Possibilities

  • Customer Experiences

  • Optimize

  • Innovate

  • Create

  • Let’s try it!

  • Lead

Which company do you want to work at?  

Company A is on its way to fail. And Company B is a survivor. Think about your team, your organization, your thinking. If you’re stuck and struggling, it’s time to pivot your thinking for better outcomes. If there is a crisis, you need to think different, pivot and transform to come out of the crisis.