Most of us have been in the ‘I’ve got a mate and they…’ story telling session. At the end of their story we laugh, make big loud statements like ‘no way’, ‘that’s amazing’, until someone says ‘Well, I’ve got a mate…’ Each story ratchets up the feature or failure, they become more amazing or crazier. These stories are shared until we run out of ‘mates’ with incredible stories.

At the start of 2020 I was given the opportunity to lead two different, but very significant endeavours. Both were incredibly complex with extensive challenges to overcome. I was enthusiastic and optimistic about the teams I’d inherited, as it seemed that we had some good people. But the challenges that lay ahead were very significant;
• We had a wide web of disgruntled stakeholders.
• There was an extremely limited time to deliver a significantly large volume of work and change.
• We needed to build unity and synergy around an effective strategic direction and implementation methodology.
• We needed to dramatically improve profits and operations to build a sustainable position.
• Previous teams had not succeeded at delivering the technical requirements, so we needed new thinking.
• We were dealing with deeply ingrained cultural norms that no longer contributed to high performance.
• … Plus, the COVID pandemic disturbed everything.

The good news is that many of the leadership, change management, strategy, and implementation initiatives we applied in 2020 were highly effective and resulted in wonderful success for both endeavours. (I can share more about these learnings in coming blogs or over a coffee.)

However, the new global ‘pandemic’ landscape, looks uncertain, complex, and fluid. 2020 gave us a taste of the new landscape.

But how do we prepare ourselves to be successful leaders in this new and challenging landscape?

When I reflect upon the success of 2020 my mind quickly turns to the good people who shared the load and travelled the journey with me. These good people all have their own story; however, they provided the right connection for me. The ability to encourage me at the right time, to bounce around ideas, to provided alternative perspectives or even reframe situations. They provided a rich and beautiful human connection in the mist of complexity, intensity, and rapid change.

If 2020 was a taste of the new landscape, we will all need to have good people in our life. History tells us time and time again of instances when people thrive in complexity, intensity and change because of certain people in their lives.

But how do you find these good people and include them in our lives?

It’s simple. Think of your ‘I’ve got a mate…’ stories. Think about the people you are talking about. These are usually the people you have a positive connection with. You find them interesting and engaging, so much that you retell stories from their lives. My guess is that you feel energised from conversations or time with these people.

The second part of this discovery process is to look for good people who provide you support and challenge.

People who support you offer more than just a positive connection. They provide encouragement based on your giftings and talents. They appear when you need to talk through challenges and difficulties. They motivate and energise you, giving you the strength to keep going.

However, to truly succeed in the new global 'pandemic' landscape we need new thinking and flexibility. We need our good people to challenge us. Challenge creates a new perspective or reframes the view; it provides alternative ways of thinking.

Sometimes at night you might find your mind racing as you process and reflect upon your current complex and challenging situation. At times these thoughts can be full of emotion and anxiety. These are the times when we need to remind ourselves of the alternative perspectives and views our good people provide us.

For me 2020 was a great success because I had good people around me who provided support and challenge.

Having good people around keeps you motivated and energised. They give you the strength to keep going, plus the ability to reframe and consider alternative views and ways of doing things. We gain satisfaction from achieving together, cheering each other on and giving each other (COVID Safe) high fives. You may even find new material for your next ‘I’ve got a mate...’ story telling session, as you laugh and enjoy life.

At Joseph Consulting we are passionate about empowering leaders and their organisations to succeed in the new global pandemic landscape. Please call if you would like to share some of your stories, or discover how Joseph Consulting can support and challenge you and your organisation.

Jason Gallagher
Director, Joseph Consulting

A great book related to this topic is “The Power of the Other” by Dr Henry Cloud.

If you would like to read another blog related to this topic, we suggest the following;
A New Hope for New Energy
Endless Possibilities without a New Year’s Resolution
Leading in High Emotion Situations
Can you succeed without a backstory?