LEADERSHIP
How Great Leaders Can Thrive
A leader’s ability to adapt is key to succeeding during times of uncertainty
The challenges facing business leaders through the Covid-19 crisis is immense. Every organization has had to pivot very quickly. One day everyone was in the office, a week later teams were working remotely, with the vast majority of meetings taking place online.
From a leadership perspective, there’s an emphasis on change and how you invest your time in a crisis. The people you’re trying to support, engage with, and motivate look for different things from leaders at different times.
Leadership today requires a crisis mindset.
A focus on communication and relationship management is crucial. The strength of relationships is key; if they’re robust, they will stand the test, repaying leaders down the line.
Great leaders will seek to connect with employees to better understand them as human beings. Leaders are being forced to morph from traditional business leadership to be communication experts.
New leadership skills
In a crisis, there’s uncertainty. In this environment, people struggle due to loss of control. So the role of the leadership is more about filling that uncertain space so followers can make sense of things. If workers feel some control, with a little certainty, they’re much more likely to be effective.
During a crisis leaders should be patient.
The communication challenge is exacerbated by the lack of face to face interactions. Initially, teams struggle to replicate the flow of communication remotely. So leaders have to adapt as management and leadership happen on a face-to-face level.
The phrase ‘management by walking around’, no longer applies. This is more challenging given that effective leadership is triggered by social cues in the workspace. Random interactions enable leaders to sense team energy, not that easy remotely.
It’s incumbent on leaders to find new ways to sense cues while working virtually. Granted, it’s harder in a digital arena, hence the importance of time management and communication.
Working at home brings challenges that leaders have to navigate. For example, employees can be drained by endless video calls. In this environment, it can prove harder to manage a workload with little downtime.
Leaders put the needs of their followers first. But it’s essential that they pay attention to their personal well being too.
A survey by Harvard Medical School found that 96 percent of senior leaders are feeling signs of burnt out, with 33 percent reporting on it, at extreme end of the spectrum.
The greatest health crisis in a century is upon us, plus an economic disaster heading down the line, so it's vital that leaders exercise self-care. A never-ending to-do list leaves little time to think and recover, which is very important.
Burnout serves nobody.
Wellness
Workplace wellness has a positive impact on an organization. Emotionally intelligent leaders tend to emotional needs. The onus is therefore on their shoulders to ensure that their team is doing the same.
Leaders must give others permission so that wellbeing flows through the organization.
If an organization is to be resilient, energy management and self-care is a must. A real effort should be made to promote wellness at work. It must be absolute. It’s an investment.
Wellness should form part of an agenda where teams can share the routines, certainly for the duration of the global pandemic.
Leaders need to focus their efforts on wellness.
Final Thoughts
It’s important that leaders recognize the effort that their team is making for the business.
Resolve, expressed with confidence, is key for leadership.
The months ahead are still clouded in uncertainty for leaders across all sectors. As such, there are three key areas that need focused attention.
- Scenario Planning — Now is the time to invest time in scenario planning to prepare for what may lie ahead.
- Communication — Connect with your people and networks to check in and learn what wisdom is unfolding.
- Wellbeing — Practice self-care and facilitate a culture that gives others permission to do likewise.
Also, gratitude plays an important role, say ‘thank you’; do so more often, but most of all, mean it.
A simple ‘Thank you’ inspires and solidifies teamwork.
Everyone is busy, but when we look back we’ll never forget those leaders who valued our input.
Leaders must recognize the effort and sacrifices that the people around them are making, and not forget that we’re all in this together.
