Global Leadership: How to deal…..

This week, we covered many great resources highlighting the importance of effective leadership in uncertain situations. This uncertainty can come from cross-cultural situations (see Ch 2 in the textbook) but also from crises (Gulati, 2023) and general business situations (Furr & Furr, 2022). Each reading and related video material provided insights into specific strategies, tactics, and actions to become a more effective leader in situations that involve a high degree of uncertainty. PLEASE TRY TO USE THE REFERENCE OF THE READING USED IN THE EXAMPLES I DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL READING RIGHT NOW, SO HAVE TO FOLLOW EXAMPLES.

Examples:

1. The strategies I found most relevant in my current role are increasing mindfulness and slowing your judgement and opinion formation. I work in such a fast-paced environment that I usually dont have the time to be fully present in meetings. Im trying to think ahead of whats being discussed, or my mind is stuck on troubleshooting another issue. Im not able to be fully present in the moment, which usually pushes me away from participating in certain projects that would require me to do so. Slowing down your judgment and opinion formation is another strategy I could benefit from because it requires you to hold off on making any decisions before you have an accurate understanding of the situation. Given that speed and efficiency are a big component of my role, I am usually forming opinions before I have all the information, which sometimes requires me to course-correct or backtrack later on.
2. I do plan on using both of these strategies in my current role to be more present and open to taking on less predictable projects. When collaborating with others, my goal is to be more mindful and present so I can fully understand the situation were in and how I can make the experience most beneficial and successful for those involved. Especially when working with global teams, the context and verbal cues are going to differ from the US teams I work with more frequently, so delaying judgments and opinions will allow me to better understand the nuances to make more informed decisions.

Example 2

What strategy for leading in uncertainty did you find most relevant to your current or future leadership role? Explain why.

In my current role as a project lead, the strategy for leading in uncertainty that I find most relevant is “Sustain Yourself.” In the article “How to Overcome Your Fear of the Unknown,” the authors describe this mindset as recasting setbacks and focusing on things that have true meaning for you. Working for clients that have a variety of needs, expectations, documentation, and timelines, every project brings new issues and struggles. At times, this can feel overwhelming. While most go well, I have faced setbacks and been in a role where we failed to adequately meet deliverable expectations and potentially lost future business. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of overthinking what you should have done and thus doubting yourself in future projects. Avoiding this and effectively sustaining myself is essential for avoiding burnout, building confidence, and learning from past mistakes.

Can you think of situations in which you utilized any of these strategies effectively, or do you have any planned uses for utilizing these strategies effectively?

Without knowing so, I have definitely utilized these strategies in my experiences with my current company. The most notable example is during client turnarounds, during which the entire facility is in a shutdown. This is done periodically for maintenance, upgrades, etc. During this time is when new control system changes and hardware deployment are done on my projects. These can be very stressful times, with long hours, pressure from upper management, and unknown problems and hurdles popping up that cause delays. During these times, “Do Something” has helped me overcome obstacles. In these high-paced environments, I can learn and experience more new things in 1 day than I do in a month of my “normal” tasks. Taking action is an important part of facing uncertainty, and I have found my willingness to brainstorm ideas and take immediate, practical steps during tense situations to be extremely valuable. In addition, this quality of mine has been noticed by others and has led to my input being highly valued as my turnaround experience grew.

Example 3

1. What strategy for leading in uncertainty did you find most relevant to your current or future leadership role? Explain why.

The strategy I found most relevant is maintaining flexibility while promoting clear communication. Both Furr & Furr 2022 and Gulati 2023 highlights that uncertainty often derives from swiftly changing incidents, leaders who remain flexible but give clear advice tend to succeed. This strategy resonates with me because in any leadership role, whether supervising a team or making strategic judgments, uncertainty is unavoidable. By staying flexible while guaranteeing my team understands priority and what is expected, I can keep up performance even when situations are confusing. I have seen this strategy applied efficiently in a multi-functional project I led last year. Halfway through the project, major customer requirements changed significantly, creating uncertainty for the team. By holding regular check-ins, properly communicating updates, and permitting team members to adjust their assignments as needed, we maneuvered the change triumphantly and delivered on time.

1. Can you think of situations in which you utilized any of these strategies effectively, or do you have any planned uses for utilizing these strategies effectively?

I plan to use this strategy in future roles by enforcing organized but flexible planning showing clear goals and roles straightforward, but being prepared to turn as events change. I also plan to diligently request suggestions from my team, as comprehending their viewpoints can enhance decision making in unpredictable surroundings. Fundamentally, balancing flexibility with proper communications seems to be the most efficient way to lead through uncertainty, guaranteeing both unified vision and strength.

Questions & Instructions

1. What strategy for leading in uncertainty did you find most relevant to your current or future leadership role? Explain why.
2. Can you think of situations in which you utilized any of these strategies effectively, or do you have any planned uses for utilizing these strategies effectively?