7 Secrets to Being an Unstoppable Leader in Times of Crisis
The past few years have been a wild roller coaster ride for many firms. Some had to ditch their normal ways out the window and try new strategies on the go. Others had to enlist digital means to keep up with the changing landscape, partly triggered by the pandemic. Dealing with remote work, tighter budgets, fierce competition, and shifting customer demands became part of the daily grind.
Automation consulting is no exception to what’s been going on. This close field also went on a crusade to transform and adapt. The good news is that, in a sea of possibilities, it found a path to prevail while continuing to help clients sail toward success.
How did automation leaders cope with these difficulties and champion their teams through change?
What lessons can you learn and apply to your own situations?
In this blog post, you can get some tips from automation specialists to use as inspiration when navigating similar troubled waters.
Let’s begin.
Key lessons for times of crisis, drawn from an automation consulting firm leader
The financial climate, ongoing wars, and aftermath of the pandemic have been a source of stress for many businesses. Clients were forced to cancel or postpone greenlit projects because of these global shockwaves. Managers had no choice but to be resilient, adapt to, and respond to this new reality and ensure the quality and efficiency of their services.
Such trying times awakened a will to survive and thrive by adding new tools to the arsenal. In the corporate world, decision makers saw in digital transformation and automation solutions a vehicle to accelerate such opportunities. Matija Kopic,
CEO of robotics AI firm Gideon Brothers made a good case in point about that:
“The pandemic has strengthened our conviction that making flexible, easy to use, reconfigurable systems will help speed adoption and prevent future shocks.”
As a fellow CEO, I wasn’t dodging the downpour of challenges either. Up until, under that foggy weather, I started thinking of automation and what it does for people and their problems. My company, Verdusco Consulting, designs, installs, and troubleshoots automation solutions that help our clients:
Free up time and energy for more creative and strategic work.
Enhance skills and knowledge by learning more about their processes, systems, and workflows.
Make them more productive, efficient, and happy.
Being in that framework pushed me to develop my own set of rules to keep my company, teammates, and clients safe and sound during such hazy times.
These are my seven tips to remain an unstoppable leadership force during a crisis. I hope you can use them to inspire yourself when facing hurdles.
Embrace change and uncertainty rather than resisting them. Both are inevitable in life, so how about not making them scary or stressful? See them for the exciting and rewarding opportunities they bring, making you accept the reality of the present moment and the possibilities that lie ahead. By doing so, you can grow, learn, and discover a potential you’ve been missing out on.
Unleash creativity and resourcefulness. Finding new ways to deliver value to your clients, such as by offering online consultations, demos, and webinars. It will help you get out of your cocoon and comfort zone. And guess what? Customers love it.
Communicate more frequently and transparently with your employees, clients, and partners. The one ladder to climb to build trust and rapport. Good communication is not only a channel to deliver information but also to listen and understand. The more I practiced it, the more I got to know my teammates and watched them blossom in a culture rich in collaboration, honesty, and feedback. Another side effect? Their empowerment to work closer together toward achieving more.
Prioritize the well-being and safety of your team members and yourself. Offer the right tools, support, and feedback to do the job with low cortisol levels, even when in a rush. Also, be generous. Give and take space to recover and decompress after a long and loaded shift.
I loved what Harry Styles (not an automation person) said about Paul McCartney’s longevity as a musician. And I think it applies to having a long run in any industry:
“Who ultimately do you want to be at the end of the day? You want to be the guy who’s 70 and playing for three hours because he can and he wants to, and everyone’s loving it and he’s having fun.”
Have a clear vision and mission for your company. It will give you a strong sense of purpose to:
Stay focused and motivated during difficult times.
Align your team around a common goal and direction.
Be constantly reminded of why you do what you do and how you make a difference for your clients and society.
Trust your company’s expertise, experience, and reputation. When the mission and vision are clear and your team is well taken care of, confidence in your services and products grows, as does your reputation in the market. Also, remember that trust is the foundation of any successful business relationship. Yours should start with trusting your own company.
Practice optimism as a way of life without losing grip on reality. Optimism is not just a feeling. It is a skill that can be learned and practiced. Practicing optimism is not a crutch to ignore reality or pretend that everything is perfect. It is more about focusing on the positive aspects of any situation, finding solutions instead of problems, and expecting the best possible outcome while being prepared for the worst. So, start seeing the glass half full instead of half empty. It will make a big difference in how you go about your business’s present and future.
Should you get started on automation to seize the moment?
Automation is the key to success in today’s fast-paced and competitive world. If you want to take advantage of the opportunities that automation offers, you need to get started now.
Need more reasons why?
Automation can help you save time, money, and resources while improving your productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.
Whether you want to automate your business processes, your marketing campaigns, your customer service, or your personal tasks, there is a solution for you.
Don’t wait any longer.
Finding an automation partner
In a recent interview with A3, Gerry Ens, Founder/CTO of Go West Robotics, was asked what advice he would give business leaders about getting started with automation. His answer was spot on and captured what you should be looking into:
“Shop around, be discerning, and find a great partner. Automation is complex, so trial and error can become expensive. Make sure to work with integrators that have real-world experience using modern technology. It can be hard to see the forest through the trees of buzzwords or obsolete technologies.”
When asked the same question, Hemachandra Bhat, Global Robotics Head from Wipro Limited, had a different and also valid take:
“Start small, identify one of your key processes to be automated which will deliver significant benefits for you. Define problem clearly, setup return on investment expectations, and importantly identify a passionate shop floor manager to lead the project. Once this is done identify a solution provider who is ready to walk together with you in the automation journey.”
Contact Us
Are you ready to take the leap and find automation consulting services that can help you position your company as an innovative, sustainable, and collaborative force that brings in the big bucks?
Don’t struggle to book the right support!
Verdusco Consulting offers automation engineers who can help you carry out projects and operations without any hassle. You can reach out to me at raul@verduscoconsulting.com. It’ll be a real pleasure to assist you.
Cheers.
