Leadership Rules For
The Never Normal

By James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

It wasn’t that long ago that normal meant slow and steady. Today, normal means expect the unexpected, requiring a new set of leadership rules. To help leaders fully engage people and strengthen their resilience in uncertain times, we took a fresh look at our cases of what leaders do when they are at their personal best.

We identified six common strategies you should incorporate into your leadership practices to be
successful in turning adversity into opportunity.

1. Broaden the context

   View what’s happening from a historical perspective. Doing so provides an understanding of how others have dealt with challenging times. Research has shown that people who first reflect on their past during stressful circumstances and tell positive stories about handling hardships are more effective in dealing with adversity and rebound more quickly.

2. Defy the verdict

   People want to know the truth, even if it’s bad news. If you want your team to respond with fierce determination during periods of adversity, you need to increase your level of communication about what is really going on. Defining reality and accepting it as fate are two different things. Exemplary leaders acknowledge reality, but do not dwell on the threat. See change as a challenge and move quickly to mobilize resources in order to defy the verdict.

3. Fully commit to what’s important

   Periods of adversity remind you what values are important. During tough times, exemplary leaders make certain everyone understands the purpose that guides decisions, so as to gain alignment between people and values.

4. Take charge

   Michele Goins, a veteran CIO in high-technology firms, said to us, “Leadership opportunities are in the moment. What makes the difference between being a leader or not is how you respond in the moment.” You have to seize the opportunity to lead. You have to respond assertively to moments of trial and adversity.

5. Engage others

   Collaboration and trust among your team are essential to building capacity to get through difficulties. Neuroscientists are discovering that our brains are wired to connect. People engaged with one another
   are motivated to strengthen their relationships with one another, resolve interpersonal conflicts, and find win-win solutions.

6. Show you care

   Ajay Godbole, IT principal consultant with Oracle, notes that “Leaders who have the courage to show how they care for the team and the organization build strong interpersonal connections among their team. This bond is the difference between a team that can overcome challenges and a team that disintegrates at the first challenge.” Individual team members need to feel that they belong and that their contributions make a difference. Showing you care is personal. But if you want people to hang in there when times are tough and continue to give it their all, let them know – regularly – they are valued.

Adapting these six leadership rules to your circumstances will enable you and your organization to leverage the power of The Leadership Challenge® and take the initiative to move forward in the never normal.

James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner are coauthors of the award-winning, best-selling book The Leadership Challenge. Now in its seventh edition, The Leadership Challenge has sold nearly three million copies worldwide. For over forty years, James and Barry have collaborated and co-authored more than a dozen other award-winning leadership books. Together they developed the widely used and highly acclaimed Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) for assessing leadership behavior.