Sneaky strategy here for reshuffles.
In big companies, you often hear the phrase:
"They're rolling out a new strategy. We can't really do anything until we know what that is."
Or:
"We don't know our budgets yet as the strategy is still being finalised."
This paralyses companies from making decisions. I'm sure you have all seen it.
Some - even FTSE listed ones - go through perpetual cycles of this, keeping staff and suppliers in a state of living with their knees in mouths.
It is unhealthy, stressful and points to absolute failures in leadership and change management.
But for a leader running a region, a division or a country it is a huge opportunity.
How to take advantage and win
There are two truths to signpost here:
1 - Never waste a crisis.
2 - Another man's problem is your opportunity.
There are two ways to respond to this scenario.
The newbie leader sits and waits for the strategy to roll out, patiently attending meetings, talking to staff about how 'we just need to carry on doing what we're doing,' and providing lots of reassurance.
They are the diligent back patter - and they will probably be discussed for redundancy.
Then there is you. The wiser, more experienced leader who nods at the leadership team, obeys and says, 'yes of course,'.
You then immediately ignore that to go and mobilise your team to do what you want the strategy to be in your bit of the business - because leadership has no idea and you still have to deliver results.
You just need to make the story match.
So the game is to claim the things you want and get wins on the board as fast as possible. You have to go into 'nothing-to-lose' and the politest version of FU mode.
In other words, as everyone in leadership is scratching their chins and the other folks are waiting for orders, you are putting runs on the board and kicking down doors.
You are building your army and claiming what you want. You are being the black sheep - but a useful one on a mission to do the right thing.
No one will stop you because they are too scared at a time like this that they will lose their jobs. You just have to be sure you can deliver more certainty than anyone else.
Unless of course they do. That would have to be superior command saying 'don't do that', but they too are in sh1t. They are being looked at and don't really want to rock the boat.
So your job is to bring ultimate confidence to people you meet. Even a little wobble in your voice will show a crack and that nervous leader will pray on it. Behave more confidently than the leaders.
There is a real lack of certainty in leadership at the moment - and people seem so scared of losing jobs and getting it wrong that the conviction and confidence to get it right is rare.
How to see it
Typically the leadership team has little visibility of how to lead much further down in their organisation than their bit.
When the leadership team says 'we need a new strategy', the Monopoly board has been flipped.
It instantly becomes political and other, wiser leaders start to posture for more fiefdom share, drawing org charts with the CEO in the pub.
While they're doing that, there are entire areas of the business no one is looking at. It's your job to get them on side in whatever plan you have.
Your Get out of Jail Free card is that you are probably getting fired anyway, so you might as well lead without fear and do what you think is right.
Run like a fucking gazelle, bagsy everything you want and show the leadership - who will be arguing about what shape the strategy is on the Powerpoint deck - some quick results.
But make sure the story lands by accident through non-standard reporting lines, such as a peer in another division or a non-exec who feeds it down.
That secures your name as someone the leadership team can point at to deliver certainty when no one can agree on direction. Clarity through chaos. And in the process, you win leverage and control over the things you wanted to look after.
Or you get fired, which was always going to happen anyway.
Either way, you didn't look weak.
Telling the story you want to tell
This strategy sets you apart in what is really a redundancy round. By being a useful pain in the arse, you are showing the whole leadership team that you are capable of more than your boss had you down for.
Having been through this several times myself - and worked with a number of leaders who pulled this off - the people who win are those who deliver the results during these times.
They don't care too much about what the leadership team is doing during this phase.
The art is showing certainty, tying the story together and bringing irrefutable results to the table that matter to the whole leadership team - not just your boss.
In times of uncertainty - be the bold person who brings certainty to people.
Use black-sheep thinking to your advantage.
And have a lovely Wednesday.
Dan
PS - I'm off to the House of Lords tonight for the Indo-European Business Investment Awards. Shout if you are going.
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Being the bold person who brings certainty when everyone else is waiting takes more than a good plan. It takes the confidence to stand up, make your case and hold your ground while the leadership team works out who to follow.
Presence is a half-day course in central London that builds your leadership, speaking ability and confidence, so you can make your point, handle challenges and steer the outcome with clear thinking, strategy and strong voice techniques only a few leaders get taught.
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