What Teams Need From Leaders in Challenging Times

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The world of work has rarely felt so uncertain. Engagement is declining, burnout is increasing, and even top-performing teams struggle to maintain connection.

The world of work has rarely felt so uncertain. Engagement is declining, burnout is increasing, and even top-performing teams struggle to maintain connection.

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In times like these, people look to their leaders for clarity and confidence. But great leadership today demands more than direction; it calls for agility and a genuine understanding of the people you lead.

In times like these, people look to their leaders for clarity and confidence. But great leadership today demands more than direction; it calls for agility and a genuine understanding of the people you lead.

How well do you really know your team?

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Strong leaders see beyond roles and results. They understand how their people like to work and communicate, what drives them, and how they respond under pressure.

Strong leaders see beyond roles and results. They understand how their people like to work and communicate, what drives them, and how they respond under pressure.

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That kind of awareness builds trust and enables teams to perform at their best. If you’re unsure how well you know your team, it’s time to find out more.

That kind of awareness builds trust and enables teams to perform at their best. If you’re unsure how well you know your team, it’s time to find out more.

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The best leaders are those who can read the room, adapt to different personalities, and respond with empathy and clarity in the moment.

The best leaders are those who can read the room, adapt to different personalities, and respond with empathy and clarity in the moment.

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1. Start with values.

1. Start with values.

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Every person brings their own values to work. Those values shape how they think, react, and perform.

Every person brings their own values to work. Those values shape how they think, react, and perform.

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Some value brevity; they move fast and speak directly. Others value accuracy; they take their time and weigh every angle. Knowing what drives each person helps you share information and make decisions in a way that lands with them.

Some value brevity; they move fast and speak directly. Others value accuracy; they take their time and weigh every angle. Knowing what drives each person helps you share information and make decisions in a way that lands with them.

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It starts with awareness; yours and theirs. Many leaders are unaware that what feels “clear and direct” to them might come across as “blunt” or “domineering” to others. Understanding your own values and communication style helps you adapt before friction builds.

It starts with awareness; yours and theirs. Many leaders are unaware that what feels “clear and direct” to them might come across as “blunt” or “domineering” to others. Understanding your own values and communication style helps you adapt before friction builds.

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2. Understand color energies.

2. Understand color energies.

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The Insights Discovery model categorizes workplace behavior into four distinct color energies. Everyone has a mix of all four color energies within them, but most people lead with one or two.

The Insights Discovery model categorizes workplace behavior into four distinct color energies. Everyone has a mix of all four color energies within them, but most people lead with one or two.

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  Cool Blue: precise, logical, detail-driven. Tip: Explain the why and the process.

  Cool Blue: precise, logical, detail-driven. Tip: Explain the why and the process.

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  Fiery Red: fast, focused, results-oriented. Tip: Be clear, concise, and goal-focused.

  Fiery Red: fast, focused, results-oriented. Tip: Be clear, concise, and goal-focused.

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  Earth Green: caring, fair, people-minded. Tip: Seek their input and consider the team impact.

  Earth Green: caring, fair, people-minded. Tip: Seek their input and consider the team impact.

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  Sunshine Yellow: social, creative, enthusiastic. Tip: Encourage brainstorming and connection.

  Sunshine Yellow: social, creative, enthusiastic. Tip: Encourage brainstorming and connection.

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Recognizing these color energies, both in yourself and others, helps you adapt your style, delegate projects wisely, and carefully strengthen collaboration between teammates.

Recognizing these color energies, both in yourself and others, helps you adapt your style, delegate projects wisely, and carefully strengthen collaboration between teammates.

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3. Practice awareness.

3. Practice awareness.

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Strong leaders understand how their tone, timing, and reactions shape team dynamics. They learn to adapt their style to the people in front of them and the situation at hand, for example, a tense meeting or an important pitch.

Strong leaders understand how their tone, timing, and reactions shape team dynamics. They learn to adapt their style to the people in front of them and the situation at hand, for example, a tense meeting or an important pitch.

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Encourage open, judgment-free conversations about working styles across your team. When people understand how their colleagues operate, collaboration becomes smoother and conflicts are easier to resolve.

Encourage open, judgment-free conversations about working styles across your team. When people understand how their colleagues operate, collaboration becomes smoother and conflicts are easier to resolve.

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This awareness builds empathy. Teams stop misreading each other’s behavior and start focusing on solutions instead of assumptions.

This awareness builds empathy. Teams stop misreading each other’s behavior and start focusing on solutions instead of assumptions.

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4. Map your team’s dynamic.

4. Map your team’s dynamic.

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This is about understanding how your team works together. Identify who prefers structure, who thrives on creativity, who needs time to process, and who jumps straight into action.

This is about understanding how your team works together. Identify who prefers structure, who thrives on creativity, who needs time to process, and who jumps straight into action.

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It helps to create a visualization, so each team member can compare their style with their teammates. This helps the team come together as they discuss team strengths, blind spots, and where pressure points might appear.

It helps to create a visualization, so each team member can compare their style with their teammates. This helps the team come together as they discuss team strengths, blind spots, and where pressure points might appear.

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A team map will help you:

A team map will help you:

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  Anticipate how people, and the team as a whole, might respond to change or stress.

  Anticipate how people, and the team as a whole, might respond to change or stress.

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  Adapt your approach to match different communication preferences on the team.

  Adapt your approach to match different communication preferences on the team.

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  Make meetings more inclusive, ensuring every voice is heard.

  Make meetings more inclusive, ensuring every voice is heard.

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  Handle feedback and mistakes in a way that helps the team to move forward with psychological safety.

  Handle feedback and mistakes in a way that helps the team to move forward with psychological safety.

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5. See the difference in action.

5. See the difference in action.

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Small adjustments will have a big impact on your ability to understand and motivate your team.

Small adjustments will have a big impact on your ability to understand and motivate your team.

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A results-driven manager (Fiery Red) adjusts how they present updates to a thoughtful, people-focused colleague (Earth Green). A social, spontaneous teammate (Sunshine Yellow) gives a detail-oriented colleague (Cool Blue) time to prepare input before a meeting.

A results-driven manager (Fiery Red) adjusts how they present updates to a thoughtful, people-focused colleague (Earth Green). A social, spontaneous teammate (Sunshine Yellow) gives a detail-oriented colleague (Cool Blue) time to prepare input before a meeting.

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Teams recognize stress behaviors and respond to teammates with empathy, not frustration. Collaboration becomes smoother and more rewarding as teammates create new connections.

Teams recognize stress behaviors and respond to teammates with empathy, not frustration. Collaboration becomes smoother and more rewarding as teammates create new connections.

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In times of challenge, your team needs you to understand them and meet them where they are with empathy and agility. Your awareness will become the driving force behind the engagement and results your organization depends on.

In times of challenge, your team needs you to understand them and meet them where they are with empathy and agility. Your awareness will become the driving force behind the engagement and results your organization depends on.