NO-Confidence in Leadership

Last night I watch the 49er’s take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
Over all not a bad game. In the end Philly beat San Fran 27-24.
What was interesting was what happened late late in the game between the 49ers head coach (Mile Singletary) and their starting QB Alex Smith.
Smith was having one of those up and down nights, but at several critical times he fumbled, and threw interceptions or simple couldn’t get the job done.

The fans were getting restless, having not gotten a win all season.
The coach was getting more and more frustrated.
And the team itself appeared to be loosing confidence in thier QB.

During a commercial break the cameras caught Smith and Singletary “talking things out” . It was clear the QB’s night was done. Confidence in their leader was lost.
But then amazingly, Smith went back in to the game, helped lead the team to two more TD’s and made some great plays. (pass, run, scramble). Confidence in the leader was not only back but riding high. Plus it all happened in just a few plays.

The niners sill lost the game, but it reminded me of how fragile and crazy this thing called leadership is and can be. One minute you’re the “man”, the next (or so it seems) you’re loosing the confidence of your team (other leaders, friends, family, etc.) You may even be benched or on he verge of “going down”.

Moments like these are tough. For moments like this there is no real simple way to fix and repair the confidence of others in your leadership abilities. It could be any combination of things, over a period of time that brings you and your team to call a “time out” and have one of those talks on the side lines. From my own personal experiences in leadership, these talks are never fun, but they are highly valuable and needed at times.

What does it take to loose confidence in a leaders?
What does it take to regain or repair that confidence?
How do you navigate it when some “believe in the leader” and others don’t?
When is it best to let things “Play out a little longer”, while staying committed to the rest of the team and hoping and praying the leader gets back in the groove?

I don’t have the answers. I just hope and pray that when these drops in confidence of a leader come (and they will), that there is plenty of love, grace and forgiveness.