Gail Golden: Corporate Leadership During a Recession

When times are really tough, people within an organization look to leadership for direction.  This is the opinion of Gail Golden, Ph.D. MBA, Principal at Gail Golden Consulting in Chicago and previously a professor at the University of Western Ontario.  Dr. Golden believes that there are two kinds of change:  change that I initiate and change that comes to me.  Right now, we are all coping with a change that frightens us, and that is the toughest to deal with.

In a recent interview for the Alter NOW Podcasts, Dr. Golden says that “At times like this, the greatest leaders deploy many kinds of leadership behavior and need to be more directive than they are at other times.  Also, leaders need to engage in scenario planning rather than strategic planning.

When implementing change within a corporation, the employees need to be involved on three levels.  First is the head; they have to understand the rationale for the change.  Second is the heart; employees need to believe in the change at the gut level.  Third is the hands; employees need to know that they have the skills to make the change work.