Clearly, as a nation, we are in a time of uncertainty. We have discussed the role that leadership plays in these times, and the ability to provide a clear, concise and compelling vision of the future is critical, especially during these times of weak economic growth. As leaders, our teams look to us to provide that steady hand on the wheel and to put this situation into context. When others are only looking at each piece of the puzzle, by being able to see the whole puzzle, you are letting the team know you are confident with the strategies being executed. Without that clarity, you will just be creating more uncertainty and zapping your team’s confidence in you.

When communicating with you team, by using terms like “struggling,” “frustrated” or “scared,” I’m sure your team will be relieved (and maybe even happy!) that you are feeling what they feel. They might encourage you and tell you that much of this is outside of your control. Maybe they’ll offer that YOU really are a victim of the environment. They will hold your hand and comfort you… but what they won't do is follow you! This is one of the prices of leadership.

You must not allow yourself to be dumbed down or to look outside of yourself for strength in tough times. Attributing and pawning off poor results to outside forces may buy you some time with the board or owners, but it will not help you build "embedded" ownership with your team. The more we lack the strength and passion for driving results and providing compelling clarity, the more our team will look for leadership in others.

Easy to say, tough to do! Some of us have never faced this kind of market and financial and political uncertainty. Looking backwards to lead will not work. Facing forward with clear vision of growth is the only option for us today.