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Unwavering Inspiration: Leadership Under Fire in Business
Leadership lessons in turbulent times you can’t afford to ignore.
What do your employees truly look for in turbulent times? What encourages them to contribute their best despite the danger and uncertainty?
More than anything or anyone, they look to you. Do you exemplify the standards? Are you promoting their commitment to the common good and creating a compelling sense of ownership so that you can get through this together?
This principle is Unwavering Inspiration, which includes three main habits:
- Principled Conviction: To lead with integrity, you must adjust your thinking without abandoning your core.
- Keen Judgment: To make sound choices in ambiguity, you must broaden your perspective.
- Bold Execution: To seize advantage, you must stop waiting for perfect conditions.
3 Ways to Lead When Things Go Sideways
1. Principled Conviction: The Power of Purpose and Mission Clarity
Do you dig in your heels too hard or change direction too easily? Does the last person to speak with you gain the most influence? How about the loudest voice in the room?
Turbulent times require you to hang on to what matters most and let go of the rest.
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was floundering. He didn’t just cut costs—he refocused everyone by holding on to what mattered most: creating beautifully designed, life-changing technology. That clarity inspired Apple’s most significant innovations.
2. Keen Judgment: Broadening Your Perspective
We don’t see the world as it is; we see it as we are. You perceive what you believe. This default mode delivers certainty that you are right and creates vulnerabilities that open you to blindsides.
How well do you gather alternative inside views and outside perspectives?
During the 2008 recession, Howard Schultz returned as CEO of Starbucks. Instead of making panicked decisions, he methodically restructured the business, shut down weak locations, and doubled down on quality. Even as Wall Street doubted him, his calm decisiveness kept employees and investors steady.
3. Bold Execution: Turning Setbacks Into Momentum
To seize a decisive advantage, you must stop waiting for perfect conditions. Absolute certainty is the enemy of certain enough.
How confidently do you act when outcomes are uncertain? The 80 percent solution is a good rule of thumb.
When Blockbuster rejected a partnership with Netflix, it could have been a death blow. Instead, Reed Hastings pivoted aggressively into streaming, ultimately burying Blockbuster and revolutionizing entertainment.
Final Thought
Unwavering Inspiration isn’t about cheerleading or false motivation—it’s about having the principled conviction to balance confidence and open-mindedness, deciding with keen judgment, and moving out with bold execution once you have an 80 percent solution.
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