Since 2008 and the start of the Great Recession, there have been 3 distinct phases in leadership and management:
Phase 1, Downsizing:
Positions were drastically eliminated, and people were let go, quickly and in great numbers.
Phase 1 Leadership Implications:
Contain the losses. Stem the bleeding. Keep the faith that all will not implode.
Phase 1 Reality for Leaders:
Do the same work with much, much fewer resources.
Work long. Work late. Keep your job.
Phase 2, Stagnation:
The bottom was reached, and that’s where we stayed for a long time.
Phase 2 Leadership Implications:
Preserve for another day. Stay vigilant, stay paranoid (a la Andy Grove), stay positive, and push forward, one…foot…at…a…time.
Phase 2 Reality for Leaders:
Get used to the new reality of work.
Work long. Work late. Keep your job. Be grateful.
Phase 3, Expansion:
The economy turns, and we start the long climb back up.
Phase 3 Leadership Implications:
No time for celebrations. There’s work to be done, but with no/few additional hires.
Your role expands or “inflates”, considerably.
The day of your getting additional support is way off in the future, somewhere.
You are tasked with being more “strategic”.
Phase 3 Reality for Leaders:
Phase 3 makes Phase 1 look easy.
Phase 1 was about cutting costs, about staying alive.
Phase 3 is about growing, expanding, creating, and staying alive in a hyper-competitive market.
Work long. Work late. Confront the challenge of an expanded role. Push yourself, and find your success.
As the economy continues to grow, albeit slowly, companies and organizations will continue to expect more from their leaders and managers. Moreover, the responsibilities and the accountabilities of leaders and managers will expand at a rate greater than the growth of their respective companies/organizations.
Much more is being expected from leaders and managers since the fall of 2008, when all of this began.
As a leader or manager, do you thoroughly know what is currently expected of you, in its entirety?
Are you contributing to the expansion of your company/organization?
Do you know what your manager means when she/he says you need to be more “strategic”?
If not, it’s certainly time to find out.
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How have you managed the 3 phases since the start of the Great Recession? What have you done to survive and grow?
Post your observations and your comments.
