The coronavirus pandemic has proved to be a test for anyone in a leadership position. The new pressures and uncertainty about the economy have tested everyone but women in particular. Women and parents have had to take on greater responsibilities in addition to managing their business and professional work.
And through it all business leaders and CEOs are expected to display exemplary conduct and leadership skills for their teams and businesses. They are supposed to remain calm and optimistic through it all while making a positive impact on those around them. All this is not easy to accomplish.
One thing is certain: the pandemic has changed the idea of business leadership. Good leaders are those that are able to change and adapt to changing times. The following tips can serve you as you try to navigate through the tides of change in this new world.
Take care of yourself first
Taking good care of yourself should be the first step of leadership. You cannot expect to effectively lead your business through a crisis if you’re depleted yourself. As a leader you are expected to care about your team and think for them as well, but if you’re not in good health you cannot do your job well. You may be tempted to overwork and push through during difficult times but it will only lead to fatigue and exhaustion which will ultimately compromise your ability to think clearly and make good decisions. It can also cloud your judgement and impact your ability to remain calm. Make it a priority to incorporate best practices for your mind and body in your daily routine.
Build your emotional intelligence
Your emotional intelligence or EQ can be your greatest personal asset in times of crisis. It is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and recognize those of others. It means that you have the self-awareness to know your feelings and see how they can impact others. As the pandemic has shifted our ways of life and work EQ has become necessary for leaders to succeed. As a leader you need to recognize the difficulties faced by your employees, empathize with them, and offer support and flexibility. Instead of hindering the work, your emotional intelligence will help make your team productive. Similarly you can learn to embrace your vulnerability and be more open about sharing your struggles during the crisis. It can help keep things real and allow people to bond with each other.
Difficult times are invitations to reflect
The COVID-19 pandemic is a historic event that is changing our lives fundamentally and will leave lasting impressions on history. Make sure you take the time for reflection. Use this time to think about your own life and your path in life. Are you living in alignment with your values? Is there anything you wish to explore? This time can serve as an opportunity for personal growth. Knowing yourself better and leading yourself will help you be a better leader at your business as well.
Trust your team
If you try to do everything on your own, your team – no matter how good it is – will not be able to do what it is capable of doing. When you put your faith in them and give them a chance, they’ll likely succeed in meeting the challenge. Include your team in planning and discussions. This will allow you to see their capabilities and give them confidence. Employees want to feel that they have a voice in important matters especially those that relate to their work arrangements. Getting them involved in company decisions will get them excited about their work.
Enable communication and build trust
Lack of clear communication is what hinders effective leadership. One common mistake that people often make is that they assume that their teams and employees know everything they need to know. You need to communicate information thoughtfully and clearly. This removes guess work so people know exactly what needs to be done at what stage. This is especially important during difficult times to avoid causing additional anxiety about unclear or incomplete information.
In these times with entire companies operating remotely, employees are removed from each other and there’s a chance of them losing the sense of shared community. As a leader you should prioritize and set a culture of good communication. Keeping the lines of communication open will build a sense of trust within your team and learning can happen both ways.
Explain the “why”
Employers and managers should communicate to employees about the larger business goals and why they’re doing what they’re doing. Make sure that your team is clear about the priorities and why their work is critical to the success of the project. As a leader, including the “why” in your communication is important because it helps your employees see themselves as valuable parts of the team.
Practice empathy
Your empathy can make you a better leader especially in these trying times. Knowing that they can look to you for support will give your employees a sense of confidence and courage. Especially with a remote work culture being the norm for the foreseeable future try to listen to your employees, be compassionate towards their struggles and concerns, and try to allay their fears.
Encourage informal communication
Small talk and casual conversations are known to add to workplace joy and satisfaction. With the shift to a virtual environment these are mostly neglected. As a leader you can create opportunities for informal interaction and ‘water cooler’ chats among your employees to encourage a sense of belonging.
Plan and prepare
In these times it’s easy to get stressed and let your emotions direct your decisions. This can lead to less than ideal outcomes. As a leader in business or other areas what always helps is planning and preparing for crisis situations. Prepare your crisis strategy with your team and include solutions for different scenarios based on your resources and values. This will help you make decisions based on logic instead of making impulsive choices dictated by emotions that you might come to regret later.
Make connections
Great leaders have the ability to connect with others. They try to understand where the other person is coming from and communicate with them on their level. They make space for different types of personalities, work styles, and preferences. Try to spend time on making and nurturing your connection with your team and employees.
Find help from experts
Successful leaders accept that they do not know everything and so they seek expertise, support, and resources from external experts and other successful business leaders. There are peer groups for every industry and this is where you can find a number of benefits like learning better skills, strategies for growth, and support and advice in different areas.
Be meticulous and transparent when sharing information
It is a fact that people put their trust in leaders who they believe are honest. If they can’t trust the information you share they’ll lose faith. Your job as a leader during difficult times is to find the truth. Be scrupulous in your fact finding and then share it openly. Many people think they are protecting others by withholding difficult truths but people actually need to know the truth in difficult times.
Acknowledge and reward your team
Difficult times call for patience and sacrifice.
In order to succeed through the pandemic business leaders and employees have been working extra hard from working longer hours to doing tasks outside their job description. In order to keep the morale high you can incentivize and reward your team members who go above and beyond for the company’s success.
Stay optimistic
Though the pandemic has brought with it an unprecedented crisis, it will come to an end eventually. It has transformed our lives along the way and taught us to deal with challenges. Finding an empowering meaning in all this will help you stay positive. Your employees need hope and positivity to get through the times. By focusing on the possibilities you can stay optimistic and inspire your team and your customers. As a business leader keep your sight on a better future and the company focused on goals.
