JUNE 2019 LEADERSHIP
LEADING IN UNCERTAINTY
With signifi cant business challenges on the horizon, successful leaders can look
to the world of sport for inspiration on how to get the most out of their teams
BY JEREMY SNAPE, FOUNDER OF SPORTING EDGE AND FORMER ENGLAND CRICKETER
For businesses that trade between the EU
and UK, Brexit is a huge daily headache
they could really do without. In April,
Manufacturing Management reported on a
survey by Subcon, which found that almost
half (48%) of manufacturing businesses
felt their models were not prepared to deal with
Brexit challenges (https://bit.ly/2PV80BZ).
With Brexit now delayed until (at least)
October, the indecision and potential for
decision-paralysis continues. The fact is that
today’s business threats are more complex
than ever, so your leadership style needs to be
one that refl ects this. The old days of the person
at the top having all the answers are long gone.
For lessons in how to lead in an uncertain and
changing environment, it is worthwhile looking
outside the world of business to other professions
where such uncertainty and pressure are the
norm. Both the military and elite sport operate
in environments of intense pressure, constant
uncertainty and, in the case of the military, lifeor
death decisions.
Across the last decade I’ve interviewed some of
the world’s most impressive and prolifi c leaders
from the world of elite sport and the military to
understand how they prepare mentally prepare
for uncertainty. In doing so, I have distilled the
secrets of their success into a digital library which
helps my clients to maintain a winning mindset
when they need it most. Here are some shared
approaches that such leaders apply to not just
survive in such conditions, but thrive and win too.
1Stop blaming others; own the situation
When it comes to Brexit, there are plenty of
people you might feel like blaming: the electorate;
former Prime Minister David Cameron; the EU;
MPs in Westminster; our current Prime Minister.
But whether it’s problems from Brexit, trade
wars or digital disruption, you need to get over it.
In short, stop blaming and start owning.
In the world of sport, we see elite coaches
stepping up when things have gone wrong, not
making excuses.
For example, Ireland Rugby coach Joe Schmidt
(right) didn’t hide after his team was beaten by
Wales in the fi nal Six Nations match this year.
stomach bug in the run up to the match, but,
It turned out the squad had been hit by a
said Schmidt, that was no excuse for poor
play. Ireland, he admitted, was beaten by a
better team and would need
to up its game for the World
Cup later this year.
As Schmidt demonstrates,
great leaders don’t waste time
blaming others: it may win you
sympathy, but it won’t help you
solve the problems.
2Pressure is a privilege
The highest-profi le sporting
teams use pressure as privilege
and use this mindset to tackle
potential issues head-on.
In the military, the best
leaders prepare their teams
for Plan A, but they also throw
scenarios into the training
that get the teams thinking
on their feet. I’ve supported
several senior leadership
sessions at Sandhurst military
academy and seen how they
create challenging and chaotic
scenarios to test the soldiers’
ability to think clearly and adapt
under pressure.
In a business
context, this
could mean
under extreme pressure and
rehearsing with scenarios.
By pressure-testing various
challenges, you will be more
familiar with the decisionmaking
sequence that follows
when chaos ensues.
3Enable, don’t
micromanage
Despite the pressure for
short-term results forcing us
to monitor every moving part,
we should follow the lead of a
rugby coach.
While football managers
shout and wave their arms on
the touchline in an attempt to
control the play, rugby coaches
sit calmly in the stands. This
creates a diff erent philosophy,
where the coach is there to
create better decision-makers
rather than excellent sheep.
Providing a line of strategic
intent and then leaving some
autonomy and freedom for the
players to adapt to what they
see is essential.
This is also true in business.
The leaders who act as coaches
rather than controllers will see
the best results as they will
inspire their teams to exploit
future opportunities.
4Be fl uid, not fi xed
Leaders must understand
that they can’t predict and
prevent all problems from
arising, they must prepare
teams so they can assess and
respond quickly.
Very few will have the perfect
strategy to deal with the political
uncertainty in coming months,
let alone the technological
and competitive challenges,
but those who have the right
mindset and culture will have
the best chance of winning –
whatever their position.
Jeremy Snape
played 11
matches for
England across
a 19-year career
equipping teams
with the skills to make decisions
Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images
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