Leading During Challenging Times
By Nina Vaca,
Chairman & CEO
Pinnacle Group
It is in difficult times you really see the true measure of
someone’s character. This is especially true of business leaders.
In moments like these, executives and especially CEOs have the
opportunity to show courageous leadership that sets the path forward
for others.
As Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group, this
opp
is something I’m keeping top of mind each and every
day. From how I guide our executive team, to
communicating transparently with our associates, to
maintaining relationships with our customers,
leadership matters. Now more than ever as we have
moved into this unprecedented global pandemic.
As a leader, the first step is to understand the
realities of our situation and what we’re facing. I
cannot help anyone if I don’t know what’s going on –
both in terms of business impacts and the significant
personal impacts this is having on our associates.
Pinnacle’s executive team is communicating constantly
to ensure we are all fully aware of what’s happening at
every level of the organization as well as with our
customers. When we understand the situation at both
a micro and macro level, we are best able to apply our
creative problem solving to work through the obstacles
we’re facing.
Second, leaders must respond, not react. This
means taking the time necessary to gain perspective
and be thoughtful in setting a course before taking
action. As an entrepreneur I am hard wired for fast
responses and immediate action. But as a leader, I
know I’m more effective when I take the time I need
for thoughtful reflection before action. When new
information is presented, or the situation changes, I
carefully think through our response rather than
allowing an immediate knee-jerk reaction to guide our
steps.
Third, leaders must project unwavering faith that
we will come through this hard time as we’ve come
through so many others. While this situation is
unprecedented on a global scale, going through
difficult times as a business, at least for Pinnacle, is
not unprecedented. We’ve been through hard times before, most notably,
the recessions of 2001 and 2008, and we’ve come out stronger on
the other side. My job as a leader is to remind my team of everything
we’ve already come through successfully. I also remind them of all the
preparations and investments we’ve made over the years that have
positioned us well for the current challenges – Pinnacle is strong, and we
can do hard things together.
Finally, a leader’s mindset and attitude are contagious, and others
look to us for cues on how to think about the current situation. My goal
is to project the mindset of the learner. I don’t have all the answers
and there is power in acknowledging that and being open to the growth
opportunity it presents.
I am not focused on getting back to doing what we used to
do before, but instead on transforming into what’s next. This
means reinventing ourselves to learn the skills needed to maximize
opportunities in a new world.
¡Punto Final!
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28 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 26, No. 3, 2020
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