Humans need leadership. Do you have the right leadership team for this situation?

Boris Johnson is indisposed.

Leading up to his hospitalization, the Prime Minister’s messages about his illness were delivered in his usual amenable style. Designed to make his situation appear less serious and reassure everyone he was still in control and managing the crisis.

Now, in intensive care, the message is that the Prime Minister remains positive and in good spirits but that Dominic Raab is deputising.

This response highlights two things.  We are being reassured that although the leader is ill, he is strong, he is a fighter, he is even sitting up in intensive care.  We are being encouraged to believe he will be fine.  In the meantime, commentators were very quick to point out that we have a Cabinet system of Government.  And so we now have Mr Raab, and the Cabinet who will continue until Mr Johnson is well enough to return.

The messages loud and clear are: We have a leader. We are still following him. We still have a plan. Even if he is not actually leading, all of his previous actions and expectations are still setting the tone.

All of this is being done because of the recognition that people need to feel there is clear leadership. That someone is in control, to provide security and confidence at a time of great concern.   Someone who has a plan, who sets the tone and the boundaries, about the kind of behaviour that is expected, and how it will be judged; someone who leads others confidently during a crisis.

Why is the Need for Leadership So Great?

As in many areas of psychology, people have looked to evolutionary theories to explain human behaviour. The evolutionary leadership theory suggests our thoughts, feelings and subsequent behaviour are driven by innate psychological drivers. Mark van Vugt’s evolutionary theory of leadership suggests individuals seek out the protection a group can provide and that coordination may benefit the group as a whole. It is observed that groups with leaders generally do better than those without.  Here, the primary function of a group leader is thought to be facilitating the group’s performance and effectiveness.

A leader often sets the behavioural and social norms and ways of operating for the group. Without a leader, individuals have more decisions to make and in complex environments, it can be harder for people to make decisions alone.  Decision-making during uncertainty takes more physical energy, as you cannot rely on previous experience.

Constructive Challenge Questions

• Do you have the right leadership team for this situation?
• Can you co-opt key skills onto your leadership team to deal with the current situation?
• Are your communications reflecting how you want people to experience you as a leader and in a way you want people to emulate?
• Are you communicating frequently enough to reduce the stress within your teams?
• Are you communicating about the points you ARE certain about?
• Have you discovered information about the key issues your teams are most worried about?
• Can you identify your unexpected future leaders who are stepping out of the shadows and surprising you with their positive response to a difficult situation?
• As the leader, who are you supported by or able to get support from to get your dose of leadership that all humans seem to seek out?

#neuroconomy  #constructivechallengequestions #coronavirus