I picked up a copy of the Business Day at the airport and noticed a headline “Brait share price tanks on debt plan for UK chain”.  Another bit of bad news for Brait and another bit of bad news for a JSE listed share.

We really do need some good news

Recovery will require strong leadership with good plans, effectively and efficiently executed, by dependable teams.  Here in lies a very important question – are the leaders responsible for turnaround plans able to mobilise their teams?

If your team has not been gelled before why will they suddenly gel under more difficult circumstances?  If people have been allowed to get away with doing nothing for so long why will they start taking ownership now?

Many of the JSE shares have been tanking for some time now and if we had more visibility into the results of private companies I imagine that we would be seeing even more value tanking.

This is the moment when we need to see leaders leading their people

We know that times are tough, we know that there is a lot of uncertainty and we know that by continually using these things as excuses no action will be taken.

When unhappy and insecure team members are allowed to determine daily activity, the ongoing result will be the very common drudge of people through the front door and out of the front door some time later. Loss of customers, declining revenue, the inability to attract new business and great big divides within teams will be the order of the day.

If leaders did not get their communication, planning, teamwork right before why will it suddenly come right now?

Growth is still possible in this economic climate

I admire those customers of ours that continue to be committed to best leadership, planning and teamwork practices (introduced at some point) that remain at the core of their approach.  Proving that growth is still possible in this economic climate by treating your people as assets to be valued, by sticking to the basics of success and by living your various DNA’s to the full, you are role models that many other leaders could and should be following.

So, to all those “Blue Chip” companies tanking at present – can you mobilise your entire headcount to do what is necessary right now to put an end to the unending amount of bad news?

By Louis Gerke

Development Facilitator – The Ripple Effect

If this post interests you please feel free to share it: