It’s easy to look at the world these days and register a leadership landscape that seems distorted, and some would even say, broken. Everywhere you look, it seems, another leadership crisis is taking place. It’s happening in government, entertainment and in virtually every industry around the globe, big and small. If you’re tuned in and read or watch the news, you will see a new story about leadership disasters on a daily basis.

Yes, the state of leadership may seem bleak, and I can’t blame anyone for focusing on the negative, as that is a natural human tendency which the media thrives upon. There is a lot wrong with leadership today, but I believe that if you look a little harder you’ll find that there’s a lot of amazing examples of leadership living and breathing inside and outside the walls of large and small companies alike.

We Get to Establish a New Status Quo

There has never been a better time than right now to be doing what I do.

Why?

For years, I’ve been working with organizations that crave leadership transformation. For many of these organizations, the writing has been on the wall for a long time; either you change with the changing times or you get left behind. I’ve helped them find the winning track and stay there by introducing them to concepts like emotional intelligence, coaching, and the power of active, empathetic communication.

But the old-school way of doing things has been a difficult thing to overcome.

Thankfully, I feel that a huge cultural shift is happening, one that’s opened more minds to the transformations that can occur by questioning the status quo. Yes, there are leadership disasters happening every day, but I wonder if we can stop looking at them as disasters and more as chances to get things right. Disasters can certainly lead to the death of organizations, but they can also lead to new beginnings. I, for one, am excited about the possibilities that the current landscape seems to be creating.

If you’re like me, you recognize that new-school leaders have the opportunity to set a new standard, and that’s a good thing.

Big Disasters, Powerful Lessons

One mark of an effective leader is an ability to learn from their past mistakes. When a leadership disaster happens, it creates challenges and a host of difficulties but it also provides lessons for the future.

With all the reporting being done on leadership crises around the globe, self-aware leaders have an abundance of examples available to them of what not to do! The mistakes being made by ineffective leaders can serve as cautionary tales to emotionally intelligent leaders. Moreover, paying attention to these current situations gives us the chance to avoid future catastrophes.

Consider the Deep Water Horizon disaster of 2010. An ecological nightmare, the explosion and collapse of the Deep Water Horizon oil rig, situated in the Gulf of Mexico, caused a nearly three-month long release of crude oil into an otherwise healthy environment. Faced with the challenge of putting a stop to the spill of oil—and preventing similar disasters in the future—engineers developed a technology known as the “Capping Stack,” which is now used worldwide as an effective means of avoiding such catastrophic spills.

Certainly, the Deep Water Horizon disaster was tragic. But it provided a learning opportunity for leaders and a challenge that led to safer, more environmentally accountable operations for oil companies. It should have been avoided, but because it happened, similar tragedies will be prevented in the future.

The reality is that crises happen. They are inevitable in business and in life. But leaders with self-awareness are armed with the knowledge required to mitigate and steer their organizations forward and avoid damaging situations altogether. Leadership disasters may be happening quite frequently these days, but I believe some powerful lessons lurk just beneath the surface of the headlines. The leaders of tomorrow are learning from them today and ensuring that they don’t make the same mistakes.

A Proactive Approach

The world may be in the midst of an overwhelming leadership crisis, but business keeps on going, regardless of what happens with leadership. I believe there’s infinite opportunity available here, but improvement will require focus and action.

The worst response to leadership disasters and issues is to do nothing. You simply cannot ignore a crisis and expect it to go away. Instead, leaders must operate proactively, taking action in the midst of disaster and understanding that when they get to the other side of the challenge, they—and their organization—will be much better off as a result.

What Do You Think?

Although there is a leadership crisis happening all over the world, my outlook remains positive. I know there are solutions to the leadership issues of today and I’m confident in the new breed of leaders who are emerging. But I’m curious to hear what you think.

Is the leadership crisis something you’re worried about? Am I simply too hopeful about the future? I want to talk about it with you, so reach out to me directly and let’s talk about how we can help position your organization for success by investing in your leadership bench strength. Send an email to joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 855-871-3374.

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