Three “P’s” of Advice from Leadership Luminaries for Under-Resourced and Overwhelmed Government Leaders Today
Written by Laiqa Nawaz Walli, Partnership for Public Service
Last month, the Partnership for Public Service convened the Government Leadership Advisory Council, a group of leadership luminaries who guide the Public Service Leadership Institute's® strategy, to share advice for government leaders who are navigating today’s changing public service landscape.
Council members suggested three P's of leading through adversity.
PAUSE
P.A.U.S.E. stands for pause, accept, understand, strengthen and evolve. As noted in this article, “pausing” enables emotional resilience.
Dr. Christine Porath encouraged leaders to be mindful about what they surround themselves with and take in—“social media, music and people.”
“Take care of your energy and yourself so that you have the best impact possible on whomever you are influencing.”
According to Liz Wiseman, leaders are also responsible for protecting their team’s working environment as much as possible.
“Good leaders create conditions for an equilibrium between both over a long arc and in any given meeting, [including] settling people, creating inclusion, valuing skills as well as challenging people, holding them accountable and having high expectations.”
Doug Conant said,
“It is important that, in this crazy time, we help our teammates pause and not be overwhelmed by unprecedented events. There is enormous pressure on people who want to thoughtfully respond to challenges but are given no time to think, no time to pause, because they’ve got another challenge.”
Dr. Mette Norgaard compared pausing with an astronaut regulating their physiological state. Regain control by making your world smaller and getting in touch with your physical self. When you receive bad news, create a small routine, such as counting the lines in your palm.
Protecting your own well-being is key to being an intentional, effective leader.
“When my body settles as a leader, I can settle the energy in the room, and then my leaders can help me settle the situation so we can approach it thoughtfully.”
PRIORITIZE
Now that you are settled—on Earth and not in space—you can begin processing the overwhelming issues you may be facing. Conant said,
“Listening is leading. …If our people have concerns, it’s not that you tune out the world, it’s that you keep it all in perspective.”
Stephen M. R. Covey references the Circle of Concern and Influence framework.
“We can be concerned, we’re impacted, but we may not be able to control or even influence it at all. …Take responsibility for what you do and can control. Expand your circle of influence by being proactive.”
As a leader, you determine what to focus on—both for yourself and for those you lead.
How might leaders create more clarity for people? Betsy Myers said,
“A’s’ are the most important things—value adds—that you can do today; B’s’ are important, but maybe not today; and C’s’ and D’s’ are optional. Map out your ABCs and tackle them accordingly.”
Although it is critical to set priorities, leaders must remain agile.
“Stay in the moment, react as it unfolds, focus on your next action. Don’t get sucked into analyzing past failures or hijacked by future fears or thoughts.”
PROMISE
When facing difficult decisions and trade-offs, it is crucial to know and stick to your values. Public service is a promise to leaders’ customers and teams to keep their best interests in mind.
Gen. Lester Lyles noted that communication is “not all transmitting, it's mostly receiving.”
“Do not jump to conclusions based on one thing you hear or read. Everything is nuanced. Take time to absorb and formulate what might be answers or options.”
Conant echoed these sentiments, encouraging leaders not to get bogged down “in the weeds,” but rather to “lift your people up, in a smart way that helps work get done.”
“The only road is the high road.”
The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that has worked for nearly 25 years to build a better government and stronger democracy through developing leaders, inspiring a new generation to serve, recognizing public servants and modernizing government. Its Public Service Leadership Institute has trained nearly 50,000 public servants to become more capable and responsive leaders who achieve results that benefit the public. The Institute offers open enrollment programs based on its Public Service Leadership Model for all levels of leaders – from emerging to executive – and programs tailored for specific areas of expertise that are top of mind, like artificial intelligence. They also offer tailored leadership programming from off-the-shelf trainings to fully customized sessions and coaching for teams and leaders, as well as workforce offerings in areas such as employee engagement, government performance and talent acquisition. Visit our website for more information.