In today’s rocky sales landscape, leaders must know how to inspire trust and confidence. With so much uncertainty in the world, it’s not easy to do. Science shows that uncertainty impacts the brain by demanding more energy from the body. As a result, you end up feeling depleted, which leads to a variety of mental and physical consequences.

To cope—and thrive—with stress and uncertainty, executive coach Joel Garfinkle says leaders should change how they respond to ambiguity. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we discuss Garfinkle’s five key ways to emanate confidence and lead your team well.

1. Accept the idea of change. According to Garfinkle, now is the time to embrace disruption. While uncertainty exists, so do opportunities. Instead of feeling powerless, convey to your sales team that they can emerge in a stronger position by working through changes. Rather than maintaining the status quo, encourage sales professionals to take risks and try dramatically different ideas. Sometimes it’s those exceptionally novel ideas that can propel your team to success.

2. Be bold and decisive. Leaders provide direction. Simply by taking decisive action in these unique times, you can provide your sales team with a measure of certainty. Garfinkle notes that it might seem more prudent to wait for all the information before planning, but at some point, the benefits of waiting are outweighed by the negative consequences. Aim to introduce and implement your decisions with confidence to help calm frayed nerves.

3. Empower your team. To help ease your team’s stress, remind every employee that they play an important role in navigating the changes ahead. Everyone matters and everyone can influence the course of events within your team. Garfinkle says that people who feel they can directly influence things will stay more focused on the positive, coming up with creative solutions that may even transcend prior achievements. Inspire your team to stay curious and bring new ideas to the table.

4. Emphasize agility. The only thing that looks certain about the future is that more changes are ahead. By encouraging your sales team to remain agile, you help position them to respond well to change. Garfinkle notes that leaders can build confidence by reminding sales professionals of their past successes that emerged from staying agile.

5. Create a team of advisors. According to Garfinkle, you can lead your team through ambiguity by drawing upon collective wisdom. Pull together a team of trusted advisors who bring their own unique perspectives. Look at the current situation from all angles and collaborate with these professionals on the best course of action. Garfinkle says that by bringing these professionals together, you also boost your own credibility, showing that you have worked hard to extract the most innovative ideas.

The road ahead will have twists and turns. You can lead the way for your sales team by following the guidance above.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Joel Garfinkle is recognized as one of the top 50 leadership coaches in the U.S. As an executive coach, he has worked with many of the world’s leading companies, including Google, Amazon, Starbucks, Deloitte, Cisco Systems and The Ritz-Carlton.