5 ways leaders can better support their teams through tough times

Tough times are part of the deal when it comes to leading teams. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of hybrid work, managing change, or dealing with the pressure to perform under challenging circumstances, your role as a leader is to help your team stay on track and keep moving forward—without burning out.

According to Gallup’s 2023 report, employee stress levels are at a record high, with 44% of global employees reporting significant stress, even as engagement levels have risen slightly. But supporting your team through tough times isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about finding the right balance.

You’ve got three pedals: performance, growth, and wellbeing, and when you press the right one at the right time, you’ll help your team get through anything. Here are five key practices that will help you support your team through the ups and downs.

1. Mindset X: Building Adaptability
   Tough times require a shift in mindset. When uncertainty hits, it’s easy for your team to feel overwhelmed or stuck. This is where Mindset X comes in. It’s about building the ability to adapt, to face complexity with confidence, and to lean into challenges rather than be thrown by them. When you develop Mindset X in your team, you give them the tools to experiment, try new things, and approach obstacles with curiosity. In difficult moments, it’s about saying, “What’s possible here?” rather than, “Why is this happening?” It’s this adaptability that keeps your team moving forward, no matter how rough the road gets.
2. Team Tetris: Balancing the Load
   In any tough period, one of the biggest issues is workload. Some of your people will feel like they’re drowning, while others might not have enough to do. That imbalance creates frustration and inefficiency. The Team Tetris practice is all about playing a game of fitting the pieces together—making sure no one is overburdened and everyone is contributing in a way that fits their capacity. This practice helps you keep the team in balance, so no one is overwhelmed, and everyone feels they’re doing their part. You keep things moving smoothly and prevent burnout from setting in.
3. Built-in Wellbeing: Prioritizing People
   Wellbeing often gets sacrificed when the pressure is on. But the truth is, that’s when you need to prioritize it the most. Built-in Wellbeing isn’t just about ticking the box on mental health days or offering perks. It’s about embedding wellbeing into the very way your team operates. Whether that’s through flexible work arrangements, encouraging people to take proper breaks, or just making space for conversations about how people are feeling, this practice helps your team stay strong. You can’t push the performance pedal without paying attention to wellbeing. It’s all about balance—if your people aren’t feeling good, they won’t be able to do great.
4. Powerful Engagement: Fostering Psychological Safety
   Engagement often suffers in difficult times, but without engagement, your team is running on empty. And here’s the thing: there’s no real engagement without psychological safety. Your team needs to know that it’s okay to speak up, to share ideas, and yes, to make mistakes. That’s what Powerful Engagement is all about—creating an environment where your people feel safe enough to bring their whole selves to the table. When they feel safe, they’ll stay connected to their work and to each other, even when things get tough. It’s about fostering that openness and trust that keeps the energy alive, even when stress levels are high.
5. Aligned Purpose: Keeping the Team on Track
   When things get tough, it’s easy for your team to lose sight of why they’re doing what they’re doing. That’s where Aligned Purpose comes in. It’s your job to remind your people of the bigger picture—to connect their day-to-day work to the larger mission. Purpose gives your team direction and motivation, especially when the path forward isn’t clear. When everyone is rowing in the same direction, it makes it easier to navigate the turbulence that tough times bring. Keep your team’s purpose front and center, and you’ll keep them moving, no matter what.

Supporting your team through tough times is about balance. It’s about pressing the right pedals at the right time—helping your team adapt, keeping the workload in check, building wellbeing into the way you work, fostering real engagement, and keeping your purpose in focus. By doing this, you’re setting your team up to not just survive but thrive, even in the hardest moments.

Written by Louise Gilbert.
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