One of my favorite cartoons depicts a large herd of gazelles who have reached an impasse on the edge of a cliff. The leader of the herd turns to the gazelle immediately behind him and says, “I don't want to be the leader anymore.” Especially in these times, lots of leaders know that feeling!

Sometimes you make bad decisions, your predecessor made a wrong turn, or the economy goes south thereby dangling your business over the abyss. Regardless, you're the leader and it’s your job to figure out a plan of action.

What is the path of leadership when faced with challenging times?

Commit to communication. Don't assume everyone knows what you know. Chances are they don't. They seldom have your expertise and access to data. What is obvious to leaders is seldom obvious to followers. This has been called the “curse of knowledge”. CEOs and senior leaders are immersed in the realities of a business. With all the things on their plate, crafting communications can seem like needless work.

There is often a communication imbalance inside organizations: The facts with which you are occupied are not the same facts which occupy your employees. Make communication your constant commitment to prevent a lack of direction and urgency from those that follow you.

Keep communication simple. Complex strategies and business plans may make sense to you, but when communicating to your team, keep it simple.

The US Army has struggled for years with the connection between elaborate battle plans and leading soldiers in the field. They discovered that defining the plans success by stating the core outcome was the key. Officers are now told to explain the mission to their troops by filling in the following statement: “The single most important thing we must do tomorrow is ____________.”

Defining success in simple terms means essential outcomes are clear to you and everyone in your organization.

Communicate frequently. Attention Deficit Disorder is not just an individual problem - it affects organizations too! Leaders must always be on the outlook for places, departments and people who are losing their focus. Frequent and consistent communication on your core mission reminds everyone on your team of their purpose and how they contribute.

Every leader faces tough times when it would be easier to hide out in your office or find someone else to lead. Those are the times when your communication becomes all the more important. That's when you need to step up and speak up!

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