What is my role as a leader this week?
Should I say anything to my team about the US elections?
What is our role as a leader, this week?
The US elections happened. The results some people very much wanted – and others did not.
Emotionally entangling. Psychologically taxing. Fraught and divisive.
You and your team may be feeling a spectrum of sadness, relief, joy, anger, frustration, energy… or even ambivalence.
You wonder: Should I say anything? If so what?
It’s tempting to pretend that nothing’s happened. Business as usual, the work rolls on…
You fear that mentioning anything would be a huge distraction. You worry about offending some folks, or alienating others.
However, whether or not you find any of the feelings relevant to the work you do — those feelings are there.
The way your team is feeling is the way your team is feeling.
Our team members then carry those feelings into our internal Zoom meetings, our client meetings, our project work…
Those feelings deeply affect the quality of their attention, and their end work product.
The experience and reality of our world is inextricable from the work experience of our team day-to-day.
And so, if we’re looking to encourage the best work performance as a leader and create the best environment for our team, then, yes – we do have a role as a leader during turbulent times like these.
What to focus on as a leader
Ultimately, the role of a leader during turbulent times is to acknowledge two things: (1) The current reality (2) A positive path forward.
Let’s dive into both here…
(1) Acknowledging current reality
Acknowledging current reality means showing that you are aware as a leader: You’re attune to world events. You’re understanding how those events may be affecting the day-to-day work of your team. You’re mindful of the impact of these events on team members’ personal psychological and emotional landscape, and their work output.
When you show awareness as a leader, it gives your team a greater sense of steadiness and confidence. Your team thinks to themselves, “Okay, my leader isn’t completely out-of-touch of with what’s going on in the world that may be affecting my work.”
For example: Imagine music blasting in the room right now. It’s very loud.
When you acknowledge current reality as a leader, you’re saying: “Hey, I get that the music in this room is loud, and it’s making it hard to concentrate on our work.” You’re showing awareness of the external event.
You’re not pretending that the music isn’t there and then just asking people to go about their day as normal.
You’re also not saying: “Well I hate this music and everyone else should too.” This is important to note.
You’re not spouting your political beliefs and imposing them on others. And you’re certainly not assuming that your team is already feeling a certain way and then telling them to feel different.
You’re showing awareness without projection.
Phrases that you might use to do this:
“For those of you paying attention to the US election, there is a full spectrum of things you may be feeling — and it’s okay to feel those things. Please take the time you need to take care of yourself.”
“Everyone may be having their own personal experience and orientation toward our current events. I want to create space to respect that.”
“I want to respect that everyone may be feeling a spectrum of different things in light of the recent elections. Let us all be mindful and compassionate to each other during this time.”
(2) Sharing a positive path forward
When leading in turbulent times, you cannot only focus on the current reality — especially when the current reality feels awfully bleak.
Your team must feel some sense of hope, on the other side. An optimism that things can get better, that their team can heal and come together, and the work you still do matters.
And so, you want to chart some positive path forward.
This doesn’t mean becoming a pollyanna, and trying to artificially inject rainbows and butterflies into the current reality.
Rather, you want to speak with frankness about what you think is possible, and why you think it’s possible.
You can also refocus on what is already true: Double down on the work that your organization is committed to, and what is staying the same, even amidst uncertainty.
And, if you’re looking to create a bridge on your team between folks, choose language and actions that show your desire for that bridge. Make unity and coming together the core of your message.
Here are examples of phrases, to give you an idea for how to do this.
“Our work here still matters, if not even more.”
“We’re still committed to making progress toward our vision as a team.”
“When we’re ready, I’d love for us to come together and remind ourselves of what we have in common, and our shared beliefs in the work we’re doing here together.”
Some important caveats: Your specific context
In some situations – especially if your company has policies about discussing politics as work – you may not be able to say much, if anything at all. That is absolutely okay, as it is part of the reality at hand. You’ll of course want to abide by those policies.
Alternatively, perhaps you do have the liberty to say something, but you’re aware of your own personal mental and emotional state. You’re mindful that your own bandwidth for communicating thoughtfully on the subject, at least right now, may be max-ed out. You’re not confident that you can show awareness without projection. Then, it is also positively fine to refrain from saying anything. You’re doing your part as a leader by understanding that what you might share might be ultimately not useful and in service of your team.
Most of all, consider your organizational context and team composition. If your team has had a history of poor interactions that have been triggered by any mention of the US elections, perhaps you simply focus on messages of respect and compassion. Or, if you’re wary of one or several folks on your team not being able to operate from a place of respect, you may want to consider sharing your words with folks 1:1, and not in a group setting. You know your team better than I do, of course. Use your best judgment accordingly.
But above all, know that in whatever you do choose, you can be a steward of your team and their best work this week and beyond. Even during a time as turbulent as now, know that you have a role to play, and that whichever one you do choose can productively impact your team.
Sending you the confidence and calmness to make the decision that’s best for you.
-Claire