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The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that uncertainty is part of the new norm, so it's essential to be prepared for anything. But what does a flexible leader look like?
Flexible leaders embrace change and are open to new ideas; they enjoy working with a broad spectrum of people and can modify their style or approach to leadership as and when needed. This is something all leaders need to be able to do within their companies as they work with the design team, who will have a very different way of working with the accounts team. Flexible leaders can adapt to changes as needed and revise their plans to incorporate these changes, overcome challenges, and allow for innovations while still achieving their goals. They are also able to implement new behaviors in old existing situations. They are willing to try new behaviors, regardless of whether there is a global pandemic or an ordinary day.
Being flexible allows you to be more effective when working with different people and dealing with different situations. If you think there is room for you to be more flexible in your role, then here are some tips on how to do this:
Ask for feedback
First, you need to be aware of yourself, so the best place to start is to ask your team members. Find out what they think of you, how you handle things, find out if they feel their skills and talents are being put to good use, ask them if they think you're flexible, and what you could do to improve. There's no harm in asking your employees to review your performance, too, just as you do theirs.
Manage your time effectively
To be flexible, you need to be prepared for anything, but rather than just being on your roes all the time, you can anticipate likely scenarios and start working on them or preparing for them ahead of time.
Look for opportunities to be more flexible
You can learn to identify situations where you can be flexible instead of going about your normal routine. There are obvious situations, such as when a familiar situation changes or new problems arise, but you could also find opportunities to be flexible in everyday situations. Rather than acting straight away as you usually would, take a step back to think about what your normal reaction would be to a certain situation. Is this reaction the most effective response, or is there something you could do differently?
Listen to the advice
As well as listening to and implementing feedback, it's also a good idea to take notice of advice from others. It's not up to you to devise new ways of doing things but to try them. Benefiting from others' experience and knowledge can help you to evaluate and implement new approaches to problem-solving.