Presenters: Muhammad Bazil Farhan Ahmad Muhammad Matiullah Muhammad Hasnain Afkar How History’s Great Leaders Managed Anxiety How History’s Great Leaders Managed Anxiety Alison Beard Nancy Koehn Executive editor at Harvard Business Review Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School An Interview of NANCY KOEHN by ALISON BEARD How some of the leaders helped their followers through the uncertainty and stress of the crises they faced? Effective leaders exhibit a combination of brutal honesty and hope during times of crisis. Leaders should demonstrate competence, concern, and a sense of purpose to reassure their followers. Leaders should project resilience, unity, and determination, like historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill What sort of presence should a CEO or a political leader have during times like these? Sharing worries or anxieties can be beneficial if done thoughtfully, but must be balanced with a clear plan of action and demonstration of resilience and confidence. A clear plan of action and demonstration of immediate care, like James Burke of Johnson & Johnson, can effectively reassure people during crises. James Burke As a leader, should you ever share your own worries or anxieties? As leaders, your followers look for cues in your behavior. If you show your anxiety due to some ongoing crises in public, it will cause your followers to lose hope too. It is okay to release your anxieties in private and with your trusted colleagues. As a leader, should you ever share your own worries or anxieties? “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” (Nelson Mandela) “You are facing a fiery trial so you must think anew and act anew.” (Abraham Lincoln) What if you aren’t sure that everything and everyone will come out of the situation okay? In widespread crises, a good end is not certain and as a leader you know that As leader, you need to navigate yourself and your followers towards the positive end. You just need to take one step and the things will become easier and the mind clear. What if you aren’t sure that everything and everyone will come out of the situation okay? MISSION: During the great depression in the early 1930’s, save the economy and the democracy of America. Frank Delano Roosevelt MISSION: Save the lives of his men and lead them back to their countries after his ship was destroyed and the men were left on Elephant Island for 2 years from 1914 to 1916. Ernest Shackleton You are supposed to experiment behind the scenes. He wanted to save the Union during the American civil war so he tried different things such as appointing different Union Generals and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln He tried implementing a number of policies in America during the Great Depression in the early 1930s to save the economy of America when the whole world was suffering. Franklin D. Roosevelt You are supposed to experiment behind the scenes. During the Cuban Missile crisis 1962, he tried different things and assembled a group of officers to solve the problems without an escalation to a Nuclear War. John F. Kennedy He asked his men to pull the boats across the ice. He tried different things, failed for 2 years but was rescued later. Ernest Shackleton If followers see you trying out lots of different plans, and sometimes failing, won’t that exacerbate their anxiety? Managing Anxiety: Balancing Leadership Actions and Followers Perception Consistency in Decision Making. Transparent Communication. Empowering Followers. There’s immediate anxiety and prolonged anxiety. Does the approach change as challenging times go on and on? Adapting Leadership Strategies: Immediate Anxiety Response. Long-term Anxiety Management. Role of Resilience. Flexibility and Adaptation. Should you manage the anxieties of various stakeholders — for example, those on the front line versus fellow leaders — differently? Stakeholders Centric Approaches in Leadership: Understand Stakeholders needs. Collaborative Problem Solving. Support and Allocation of Resources. Are there any corporate leaders you’d point to who have handled crises particularly effectively? Burke at Johnson & Johnson and leaders at H. J. Heinz during the Great Depression are examples. Heinz kept employees with living wages, investing in staple products like soup and baby formula. This eased anxieties and helped the company grow. Today's leaders should remember that their actions during crises are watched closely. Henry J. Heinz How did the leaders you’ve studied manage their own anxieties? Effective leaders, such as Kennedy, Lincoln, and Shackleton, manage their anxieties by engaging in activities that help them release their fears regularly. Kennedy swam and talked to his brother, Lincoln paced the White House halls, sang songs, and told jokes, while Shackleton walked the ice and read poetry, highlighting the importance of finding personal coping mechanisms for anxiety. Who's helping reduce Covid-19 anxiety? Cuomo communicates facts, assigns jobs, and emphasizes staying home to save lives. Other strong leaders include Jay Inslee, Charlie Baker, Gretchen Whitmer, Angela Merkel, and Jacinda Ardern. Corporate leaders making PPE, helping communities, and saving jobs are also making a difference. Andrew Cuomo (Governor of New York) ANY QUESTIONS?
