Facing A New Leadership Challenge? 15 Ways To Tackle It Head-On

Leadership is a rewarding endeavor, filled with both opportunity and challenges. As a leader, you’ll encounter new and difficult situations over the course of your career—and it’s up to you to face them head-on.

The members of Forbes Coaches Council have not only helped their clients through unfamiliar business challenges, but they have also experienced them as well. We asked a group of them to share the first steps a leader should take when faced with a new challenge. Their best answers are below.

Forbes Coaches Council members offer tips for tackling new leadership problems.

1. Ask Effective Questions

Effective questioning is fundamental to successful leadership development, especially in times of crisis or uncertainty. Asking effective questions is an essential tool for any rising leader—not only to help them learn new information but also to challenge, stimulate, and engage others. Asking questions allows a leader to grow and develop better decision-making processes along the way. - G. Riley Mills, Pinnacle Performance Company

2. Use Your Personal Board Of Directors

When I was being trained as a therapist, one of the most important lessons taught was the need for peer consultation. When faced with a new situation, you can consult with peers to ensure the best and most ethical treatment plan. The same applies to the business world. Use your "Personal Board of Directors" to gain insight and perspective. If you don't have a "board," then curate one now! - Peter Stewart, Stewart Leadership

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3. Be Humble

When facing the new and untested, you need to first check your ego and ask yourself whose experience and input will help you deal with the situation at hand. Your humility, curiosity and courage to admit you don't know something will help you keep your mind open and focused on doing the right thing. - Edyta Pacuk, MarchFifteen Consulting Inc.

4. Ground Yourself First

First and foremost, you must breathe. By taking a deep breath in and out, you become more present to handle challenges your way rather than reacting to circumstances. The only way a leader will be able to effectively lead is when they embody being like the eye of the storm, calm in the midst of chaos. - Anna Choi, Conscious Business Coach - Anna Sun Choi Llc

5. Adopt A Learning Mindset

Remember that leadership is all about managing change, navigating uncertainty and continuous learning. Adopting and promoting a learning mindset allows you and your team to experiment, make mistakes, get better, be creative and find appropriate solutions, all in the context of growing and developing. Situating new challenges as learning opportunities creates innovative spaces to find what works. - Palena Neale, Ph.D, unabridged

6. Build Trust Early

When you do not understand, rally experts who do around you. Let them teach you. Remain humble and open. Secondly, communicate with the groups impacted early and often with as much transparency as you feel appropriate. This will help ensure compliance to any upcoming requests you make for the safety of all involved. - Alexsys "Lexy" Thompson, Alexsys Thompson Intl

7. Let Your 'Fight Or Flight' Reaction Pass

Recognize that our brains still have some primitive functions, like signaling us to take flight in the face of danger—and that can affect how we make decisions. Though fight or flight may be the initial urge, giving our brains a moment for more "executive functions" to kick in can also be the difference between sound judgment and knee-jerk reactions. Take a minute to breathe. - Karyn Gallant, Gallant Consulting Group

8. Remove Thought Barriers

Reframe one's mindset by moving away from thoughts like "business as usual" to a different conceptual level of thinking, which is "business as unusual." The mode of business as unusual requires that leaders go back to one fundamental component of leadership called humanism. It is about valuing the goodness of all human beings, addressing needs and demonstrating your leadership through meaningful actions. - Eugene Frazier, EF Choice & Associates, LLC. -- Executive Coaching

9. Look For Patterns

As a seasoned leader, you've faced multiple challenges in your career. What's similar about this situation to what you've dealt with in the past? What resources have you used in the past that can help you address the current issue? Think broadly—look at your team, your peers, your own knowledge and critical thinking skills. All have served you well in the past and can be assets now too. - Kathleen Woodhouse, Nova Leadership

10. Get Clarity On The Impact Of The Challenge

First look at the impact of the challenge, including assessing who and what is being impacted by it. Then outline a desired outcome of this challenge. What are you actually trying to solve for or change? It’s critical to get clear on the goal you’re trying to solve for, instead of simply putting a Band-Aid on the issue. - Aaron Levy, Raise The Bar

11. Look Both Inward And Outward

It is key to take time to pause, reflect and think before acting—to make an internal assessment of the situation and your inner resources to draw upon. Then, it is key that you get information both from your "kitchen cabinet" and trusted advisors, as well as from those with whom you disagree. Getting data both from your own ideas and values as a leader and from others will inform your leadership. - Christine Allen, Ph.D, Insight Business Works

12. Calm Your Mind And Body Before Making A Decision

The following are steps to take when faced with a new business challenge. Step one: Stop and breathe. Calm your mind and body. Step two: Determine if the challenge requires quick action. Initially, you might feel inclined to make an immediate decision. Yet, if this is something you can think thoroughly through, you will likely save time and money using a methodical approach to solving your problem. - Mika Hunter, Female Defender

13. Mobilize Your Trusted Leaders At All Levels

No leader can do it alone. It requires multiple perspectives to understand impact, effective decision-makers at different levels of strategic and tactical responses and effective communicators who have influence. Getting those unique individuals aligned and prepared for the various decisions they will be making is key to leveraging leadership at every level. - Mark Samuel, IMPAQ Corporation

14. Talk To Those Who Have Been Through This Before

Time is usually of the essence and you cannot get another degree to learn how to solve the problem. Look at who else has done this and find out how they did it. Talk to them, listen and learn. Adapt this to your situation. Your creativity will be sparked as you dissect their approach; you can tailor your solution to fit your challenge. - Cynthia Howard RN, CNC, PhD., EI Leadership

15. Lead With Intention

Be intentional. Lead with courage, humility and discipline. Get clarity on vision and values. Own them. Communicate them. Drive home your intentions and align your communication with the goals and objectives. Be resilient and flexible with your staff and teams. Focus and fuel the most vital efforts that keep the people cohesive and engaged. Maximize expertise for small wins and lasting success. - Lori Harris, Harris Whitesell Consulting