It seems far-fetched to look for similarities between weather and leadership, but that’s what O.C. Tanner Institute researchers and authors, David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom, recently uncovered.
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Fortunately, spring is upon us, but for those of us—and it was most of the United States—who suffered through the seemingly endless string of record-low temperatures, the Polar Vortex is one of the last things we want to be reminded of. But the researchers raise some interesting points, so we’ll review it.
Here are the similarities the authors suggest.
Preparation is Underrated
“Other than the weather, one of the most unpredictable aspects in life is the behavior of people,” say Sturt and Nordstrom. They add that leaders often don’t know what people are thinking or feeling and don’t know how they will respond to certain situations and challenges at work.
“So, just like people living in areas of the country where dangerously cold temperatures are present, or people living in areas where earthquakes, hurricanes, or heat waves are possible, leaders need to prepare. We need to act like meteorologists—looking for cues and signals of oncoming storms. We need to educate ourselves in leadership strategies. And, we need to practice.”
Challenges Bring People Together
Here, they’re talking specifically about shared challenges. While few people enjoy the struggle, the resulting benefits are often well worth it. It’s the job of the leader to keep everyone motivated and focused to meet the challenge.
“As leaders, it’s our responsibility to communicate the noble cause often,” say the authors. “In fact, science shows that if you truly want people to engage in cause, it’s your responsibility to tell great stories. Shared challenges and noble causes bring people together.”
There Is No Reprieve Without a Struggle
In other words, it’s hard to truly appreciate the good times because it’s necessary to face some struggle and adversity from time to time to put it into perspective. One role of a good leader is to help employees see their perspective and keep them motivated and engaged.
These leadership lessons, that can be learned from extreme weather, provide some useful information for leaders and would-be-leaders with an eye toward success in their roles.