With temperatures scorching outside and the severe drought in South Africa, many a province has been declared a disaster area. Our food security is in jeopardy and consumers are expecting a hike in food prices next year. This contributing to an already strained economic climate and so, when things gets hard, it is easy to really get discouraged.
But it is times like these that really allow true leadership to blossom. Let’s face it, leading in good times is easy, but leading a team that feels the heat requires not only a lot more skill, but also a lot more self-motivation and discipline. You need to dig really deep to that part of your character that never gives up, that does not allow anything to get you under and that looks at life in a positive way. As a project manager you need that tenacious personality that leads the team against all odds, the “die hard” attitude that picks you up even when severely injured.
You cannot afford your project to be declared a disaster zone and neither can you afford to lose hope in your team. John Maxwell stated that one is too less a number to achieve greatness and keeping that in mind is the key to project delivery success. So often, when we feel the heat, some of us really goes into “lone ranger” mode. Taking work out of the hands of some of our team members and trying to do everything on our own is not conducive to the team’s morale and neither is it healthy for the already overly strained project manager. You need your team and they need you.
Need I say how important it is to rally up support during these times? Make sure you have the ear of those who will stand firm in your corner and work your stakeholders. Ensure that you know what they expect and keep these expectations within the boundaries of the agreed scope of the project. Sell, sell and sell the project whilst keeping track of opportunities generated from new requirements that cannot be incorporated immediately. It is the constant drip of water that at the end of the day will not go unnoticed.
So when we feel the heat remember that change is your friend and hard times is the catalyst that takes your leadership ability to the next level. Embrace it, stand up, take a stand and lead.