Foreword

With this post, I want to encourage you to be brave in leading yourself through crisis situations. I want to inspire you with my passion living your dreams and your mission, and with my passion for true leadership! 

What does ‚starting your own business in times of crisis’ have to do with leadership?

Some of you might say: ‚Nothing! It is just totally crazy to start your own business during a time of crises, unless you have identified an interesting niche or a niche product relevant for this crisis.‘

Well, I did not have a brilliant idea for a niche or niche product – however, I suddenly saw, …., heard, …, literally ‚FELT‘ the NEED for coaching during the second half of March this year, when Covid-19 hit us in Europe, … and… literally from one day to the other I started my own small business!

It may sound crazy during a time where companies are downsizing and registering short-time work or even dismissing people. With just the right amount of craziness I listened to this call, a call for leadership! I wanted to lead by example. I wanted to start living my passion – for leadership and coaching – and there were some hurdles I had to take:

Take new paths

I always knew there is much more I am capable of. I knew there is much more I can do and more I can add value to after spending more than 20 years in management roles in the corporate and business consulting world. I wanted to contribute to the corporate but also SME world in a different way and with much more impact on humanity in organisations especially – with the ultimate goal to increase effectiveness in leadership and success of organisations. But also to achieve emotional satisfaction of people’s personal and professional lives.

Stay on track

After I quit my job in May 2018, I did intensive trainings in London and Frankfurt on coaching as well as leadership consulting and coaching. Then a message reached me that could have put all plans on hold:  I had to undergo a tumour surgery; the result after two operations was a permanent facial paralysis. After the 2nd operation, I had to spent one week in intensive care due to complications. This was a turnaround event for me. Lying there with a tracheostomy and artificial nutrition, not knowing what comes next and how successful this operation was on a long run, I knew more clearly than ever: there is only one path ahead of me – I was the navigator of my future! I did not doubt any second anymore that I would be able to start my own business and do coaching or become an inspirational speaker. To the contrary – I was more confident than ever before. I had this intrinsic trust, this self-confidence – like a small kid starting to walk – that I can only rise from this. With this new clarity I led myself through the next 1,5 years, focusing on my therapy and recovery and on visioning my future professional path.

Always believe in what’s in you

Even today, I still have difficulty eating, speaking and partially in using my right arm. I have always attached great importance to aesthetics before, but now I have a facial paralysis and a hanging right shoulder. However, my brain is still the same and I can consider myself lucky to have survived these operations so well. You just need to keep moving and keep trusting – foremost in yourself! Is this always easy? Oh no!!! But one thing was clear to me – there was a reason why I started my coaching education before: not only did it help me to rely on myself, I also wanted to bring out this feeling in others – this strong confidence of keep on going even though you are undergoing difficult and complex private or business situations. 

Don’t ask why? – ask why not?

When the Corona crisis hit us all, I was far away from being ready to start my own business, but I felt it was the right time to do so: I have sent out invitations to friends and family to share my ‘C-19 coaching package’ offer with their friends and families. After the first week I had six coaching clients, had my license registered and quickly started preparing my website.

When you are in a crisis, be it a health crisis; extrinsic or intrinsic, private or professional crisis – remember I have been in all at once – it does not make any sense to ask why, or why does this happen to me? The only answer to that is: why not? The only thing that is important in such a situation is to look ahead: understand your (new) perspectives and just think about the now and the future in your life. And, of course, you should ask yourself how you can avoid this in the future, in case it is in your area of influence.

Do not analyse too much. Guide yourself, lead yourself towards what are the next steps to go, and go one after the other. Follow your perspectives, trust in yourself and keep going. And do not be afraid to fail.

Only look back to be proud

Here we can learn from babies starting to walk. They do not know what failing means, are therefore courageous and dare to try out different options with a clear target ahead, e.g. to catch something. They keep trying, they keep daring, day by day. They are not anxious as they do not yet know what it means – that‘s why they are so successful. Our biggest enemy is anxiety. Do not let it sabotage you! To the contrary! Remember what you already achieved in your life! List it down, be proud of yourself and focus on who you want to be – as a human being, as a leader of your life, as a leader of your teams! (Nota bene: teams in this respect are meant in different ways – not only teams at work, but also teams of friends, your family being your teams, and more…)

Look ahead! Each of us is growing every day in many ways – at least with experience. Understanding this and trusting in it – mindfully being aware of it – in professional life as well as privately, this is where we can guide ourselves towards the next steps in our lives. This is what I mean by leading ourselves through life and leading our lives. 

Once we do this consciously, consequently and with self-awareness, compassion and empathy for ourselves: this is leadership!

Stay active!

Interestingly enough, my first ‚Covid-19 clients‘ were not those in need, but those who always knew they wanted to experience coaching to grow themselves, and not only because home schooling and home office at the same time were so challenging – they simply knew that now is the right time to start growing and investing in themselves– to get active!

Starting my business and leading by example, might not sound that brave for you. But when you know you literally need your voice for your job, but are now somehow handicapped, you might see it differently. Yes, the easier and saver way would have been a new full-time job. But, would I then fully live my passion for coaching, for leadership, and for strategic transformations and change management? For sure not!

Whether there is a crisis or whether you are facing a personal or professional complex situation, it is always worth to take action and lead (yourself through) the change. Take an active role. Take a leadership role! Check against your personal values and whether you live and honour them – professionally and privately. 

And for companies? Well, success also clearly depends on leadership. Especially, when you have to lead an organisation through change or troubled waters. Make leadership one of your strategic priorities, it will be your competitive advantage.

Summarising it all: starting a business during times of crisis is leadership, because 

• you are taking an active decision, also impacting others,
• you are deciding despite some limitations: downward trend of the market; uncertainty in the population, your clients; limited budgets due to limited sales turnover of companies and therefore people,
• you are making a clear step forward despite the even more unknown future due to a crisis,
• if you start in crisis times, you really believe in your service, products, your overall added value,
• you keep going despite of many people saying this is crazy,
• you believe and trust in yourself as you do not think about failing,
• you show your vulnerability, you are appearing with authenticity.

All of the above are strong qualities of true leadership.

But what is true leadership? What does leadership really mean? What is effective leadership? How can I improve my leadership effectiveness? How can I more effectively lead my teams remotely? These questions I will answer in upcoming posts. I expect these topics have a good chance to resonate with you. So, stay tuned.

Until then, stay passionate for your dreams and mission, be compassionate with your inner leader – and be kind to yourself! And remember: Who you are is how you lead!

Alexandra Lederer-Ponzer
Passionate Leadership Coach & Management Consultant, www.ledererponzer.com
Certified Professional Co-active® Coach (www.coactive.com)
Certified in The Leadership Circle Profile (www.leadershipcircle.com)
About me

Should you have questions or want to share your opinion with me just send me a note via ‘Contact’ on my website or contact me via LinkedIn.