{"id":27754,"date":"2017-01-23T08:32:59","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T13:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=27754"},"modified":"2017-02-03T11:57:09","modified_gmt":"2017-02-03T16:57:09","slug":"how-should-you-lead-during-this-presidential-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2017\/01\/how-should-you-lead-during-this-presidential-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"How should YOU lead during this presidential transition?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/p>\n

Over the coming months leaders should keep one thing in mind: to a large extent, it doesn\u2019t matter what YOU think about this transition. Effective leadership is often not about you.<\/p>\n

Much of effective leadership is about your employees and your team, who, for the most part, are the ones getting things done. Effective leaders know how to read their people and give them what they need to be productive. That means getting them the right tools or software, creating the right organizational structure, and giving them the right amount of direction and mentoring. Importantly, it also means meeting people\u2019s psychosocial needs.<\/p>\n

After the election cycle and during this U.S. presidential transition, some people\u2019s nerves are extra heightened. For some it is outright excitement about the future. For others it is apprehension. Others are most concerned about the uncertainty. For the perceiver who is scared, or worried or even excited at this moment, their thoughts and reactions ARE real to them \u2013 meaning that there is potential for effects on their performance.<\/p>\n

So what can actually happen? When employees are in a heightened state of emotion for a moderate or prolonged period of time (particularly if they do not feel like they have a sense of control), a few things can happen, both of which should be of concern to a leader.<\/p>\n

There are real physiological consequences, particularly for people feeling acute or prolonged anxiety and apprehension. People suffer cardiovascular trauma; they get sick at much higher rates. These effects are well-documented, and also well-known.<\/p>\n

Less known are the psychological consequences. People can become \u2018rigid\u2019 in their thinking and fail to find creative solutions to complex problems \u2013 known as a \u2018threat-rigidity response\u2019. When people perceive a threat (or even too much excitement), they only see solutions based on what they\u2019ve done in the past \u2013 which doesn\u2019t help much in the fast-paced environment in which most people work. Have you ever been stuck on a problem when you\u2019re tired and stressed, only to see a solution when you\u2019re fresh? Think of that, on a bigger scale.<\/p>\n

To be sure, some excitement, some stress, and some urgency can be critical to motivate action, but when it is too much for too long, you will see it in your team\u2019s less-than-optimal performance.<\/p>\n

So how can you help to ensure that employees stay connected, agile, and productive? Here are two possibilities:<\/p>\n