Change is constant, and it often strikes without warning. In today’s hyperconnected world, unexpected changes that come about rapidly in other countries, markets and related industries and organizations—or internally—can have outsized negative impacts on a company.
How senior leaders react during these critical moments can make all the difference between steering their companies to safety or succumbing to uncertainty. Here, 19 Forbes Coaches Council members explore actionable strategies that can help senior leaders temper their initial responses and navigate the challenges troubling news and unexpected situations present with grace and confidence.
1. Recognize Biases And Triggers
To master reactions and temper responses, leaders first need to be aware of their own biases and triggers. This will allow them to avoid making rash or impulsive decisions based on emotion. When leaders can maintain composure and have a long-term perspective, it allows them to make strategic decisions instead of impulsive reactions and helps them more effectively mitigate any negative impacts. – Kristin Andree, Andree Group
2. Embrace Emotional Agility
Leaders should embrace emotional agility by facing emotions with curiosity, detaching emotions from facts, aligning actions with core values and viewing adversity as a growth opportunity. This approach cultivates resilience and fosters optimal responses to sudden change. – Andre Shojaie, HumanLearn
3. Use Cognitive Restructuring And Reframing Techniques
Our reactions stem from ingrained mental patterns, not events. When triggered by unexpected or negative changes in business, cognitive restructuring and reframing techniques can be wielded to transform our thoughts and alter our perceptions. We can shift from seeing situations as threats to seeing them as opportunities, leading to a proactive focus on solutions, thus leading to greater adaptability. – Supriya Venkatesan, Samskara.co
4. Master Reality Testing, Flexibility And Problem-Solving
To effectively lead during turbulent times, leaders need to master three main emotional intelligence skills: reality testing, flexibility and problem-solving. By taking an objective approach to viewing things as they really are (versus how you want them to appear), leaders can then adapt their plans and find data-backed solutions instead of reacting emotionally when unexpected circumstances arise. – Robin Pou, The Confident Leader
5. Leverage Box Breathing
Start by taking a couple of deep breaths if possible. My personal calm-down-fast technique is box breathing: breathe in—hold—breathe out—hold, counting to four each time. This allows you to respond instead of reacting. When you comment on the issue, be calm, but include a vulnerable comment to show your team that you are not “above” them, but rather “with” them in this difficult situation. – Micha Goebig, Go Big Coaching & Communications, LLC
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6. Assess Perceived Threats
Recognize that your response to perceived threats is primal and emotional. It is unlikely to be founded on facts. Allow time (not too long) and space to consider the situation appropriately. Then, undertake an impact assessment to explore “what if?” scenarios. Validate the assessment against your purpose and strategy. To what extent do these changes affect you, if at all? Are you focused on what matters or what might be? – Ricky Muddimer, Thinking Focus
7. Master Emotional Reactions Day To Day
In a rapidly evolving and ever-changing world, leaders will benefit immensely from learning how to master their emotional reactions on a day-to-day basis. Staying calm, taking time to understand a situation fully before reacting and considering the long-term implications of their responses will help leaders navigate unsettling scenarios effectively. Practicing mindfulness is a helpful approach. – Pernille Brun, Session
8. Practice Proactive Foresight
Senior leaders can respond to unexpected changes and troubling news with greater resilience by staying calm, focusing on the facts and controlling their emotions. Practicing proactive foresight to anticipate potential disruptions helps minimize surprises, while maintaining open lines of communication within teams ensures everyone stays informed about what is happening. – Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
9. Shift Your Mindset And Get Centered
The first step is a mindset shift away from the belief that, in urgent times, leaders need to be “on” and drive themselves into burnout in order to meet the challenges. In order for a leader to be able to see the problem as it is and recognize the hidden opportunities, they need to find a way to get themselves centered and into a place of strength, wisdom and peace, which we all have inside ourselves. – Alla Adam, Alla Adam Coaching
10. Learn To Adapt To Any Situation With Empathy
After empathy, adaptation is the most desired value in a leader. Whatever happens is a chance to learn and develop, especially in our BANI (brittle, anxious, nonlinear and incomprehensible) world now. Understanding people’s emotions helps one adjust to their needs and develop strategies that engage the staff despite external challenges. Senior leaders’ attitude matters, and their support depends on their mission and how they understand it. – Dominik Szot, MIA
11. Transition Into Solution-Finding Mode
Ask the question, “What can I do now?” to place yourself in a solution-finding mode. One of my favorite problem-solving tools is Dr. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. Go through each “hat” to better understand the facts (white), explore emotions (red), analyze negatives (black), see positives (yellow), explore possibilities (green) and keep yourself focused (blue). This will provide an objective perspective. – Neshica Bheem, Coachfluence
12. Develop Capacity To Discern Actionable Information
We live in a poly-crisis, with turmoil on all fronts. In this context, the way we adapt is the way we succeed. Senior leaders have to decide, with great mastery, what information to act upon and when to act upon it. When you receive information from all fronts, your capacity to discern actionable information from extraneous information is essential. To do nothing is also a viable decision. – Karina Ochis, Prof. Dr. Karina Ochis
13. Be Inquisitive When Making Decisions
Asking questions in a curious, inquiring manner will likely take the heat off of you in the moment. It is a useful technique to calm emotions that are rising. It also offers more thinking space, as it invites others’ perspectives into your decision-making. From there, choose to offer constructive and progressive responses, instead of blame and defensive language. – Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory
14. Cultivate Mindful Awareness And Personal Agency
Senior leaders must cultivate mindful awareness and personal agency to master their reactions. Their mindset shapes the organization’s culture. By staying grounded, they can maintain clarity, choose intentional responses and lead with purpose, fostering resilience in challenging circumstances. Ultimately, taking ownership of their mindset is key to creating a positive and adaptive work environment. – Anna Barnhill, Barnhill Group Consulting, Inc
15. Develop A Comprehensive Support System
Collaborate with a cohesive and competent team of peers, including leaders, therapists, a mindfulness coach, a fitness trainer, a yoga teacher, a senior mentor and multiple consultants. Occasionally, some of these roles may overlap. The key is to develop a comprehensive support system, as the most accomplished executives and leaders I know all have such a network in place. – Alina Trigubenko, Profi
16. Restart Your Thought Engine; Seek Counsel
The simplest way to master the initial response to a situation is to take a deep breath and count to five; if it still prolongs, count to ten. This helps to restart the thought engine. The next steps may be to solicit counsel from experts in the situation, get immediate support groups into action and start the outreach for external communication—all while putting in place the internal revamp, step by step. – Shruti Parashar, GOALisB
17. Apply Logical Thinking When Processing Emotions
Acknowledge that initial reactions to upsetting scenarios will be emotional. Create space to process emotions while applying logical thinking. Prioritize quiet time, outdoor activities, exercise, rest and laughter to reset and manage stress. These strategies will fuel your brain to solve challenging problems more effectively. As you model this for those you lead, encourage others to do the same. – Brian Houp, ReZone Coaching
18. Practice Meditation Regularly
In a world that will continue to change and where VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) and/or BANI are the norm, the power of regular meditation practices to support psychological flexibility cannot be underestimated. Regular meditation decreases the size of the amygdala; this decrease enables us to respond rather than react automatically. Given this, senior leaders should develop their capacity to be present via meditation practices. – Elizabeth Semion, Elizabeth Semion & Associates
19. Exercise Your ‘Pause Muscle’
Pause. Senior leaders who are highly successful at mastering reactions to the VUCA world we live in pause often. They understand that taking a moment to breathe and assess, understand and integrate the information before taking action is the best way to respond with intention and purpose. Exercising the “pause muscle” is a key strategic tool for all leaders who want to lead with intention. – Sohee Jun, S.J. Consulting, LLC
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