Impactful Leadership While in Crisis
As we continue to go through this extremely challenging time in our communities, it’s great to see how many different kinds of people are showing up with various acts of compassion, signs of resiliency, and most of all, extraordinary leadership skills. I am awed and heartened to see that these people include government leaders, local officials, medical staff/personnel, small business owners, and everyday people. It is especially important that everyone participate during these times of adversity and uncertainty.
Whether you are leading an organization, project, group, or even just yourself or your family, leaders must balance action with taking the time necessary to observe and understand the situation thoughtfully and then assess the information provided.
Which brings me to this month’s blog. Today, I want to share about what it means to be a true leader and how we can best lead through crisis, whether it be this particular one, or any that you may encounter in the future.
Here are some key characteristics and thoughts that are extremely essential to being a good leader, as we start to move towards reopening our businesses in the days and weeks to come.
Being “Boss” Doesn’t Mean Being “The Boss”
First and foremost, leaders show up in many different forms. Gone are the days that we think of our leaders as simply the boss of an organization, or the head of a department, team, etc. By default, we are ALL leaders. We must lead ourselves and those around us towards a common goal and that’s so important NOW more than ever.
And for the time being, our common goal is defeating COVID-19 and preventing its spread. What can we be doing to maintain strong and positive leadership throughout COVID-19 and beyond.
Start with INWARD ORGANIZATION (Personal GROWTH)
Just like some of us may have been “spring cleaning” our spaces, let’s also cleanse some of our thoughts. Here are some things you can do to promote personal growth and therefore be a better leader.
Practice Optimism - “Optimism is different from positivity,” as Simon Sinek would say. Don’t be in denial of what’s truly happening. Being Optimistic is knowing what is really in front of you, the bad, the dark, the sadness and then finding hope.Be present and know that the only thing that we can control is the NOW. We can’t go back in time and figure out what went wrong. It would only cause us to blame one thing or the other. And we can’t think about the future because that will cause us to “daydream” or worse, worry and think about the “what ifs”. We have to be present and live with the fear of the unknown.
Let go of Perfect - Ask yourself: what can I do right now? And it doesn’t need to be perfect. My own coach would remind me all the time, “Imperfect Action, is STILL ACTION…”
It’s about life’s little moments. The decisions you make right NOW and how fear and hesitation will always be there, and learning to live with the fear and hesitation and finding ways to overcome it. Beating ourselves up about a less than perfect outcome is not productive and if the results aren’t exactly what you envisioned them to be, it’s okay, simply tweak or pivot where necessary.
Prioritize your Time and Values - It’s important to know what you care about and value most. This means taking stock of how you value your family, work, and yourself, especially mental/emotional health. Caring about oneself right now is SO IMPORTANT. Think about our healthcare workers out there on the front lines of caring for sick patients. If they didn’t take care of themselves first, i.e. make sure they are well rested, make sure their are eating and sleeping to boost their own immune system, make sure they are taking breaks when they can for their own mental health and sanity - how would they have the strength help the rest of us?
Same goes for our “Moms” and Mothers out there, as we just finished celebrating Mother’s Day, how can moms take the time to put on their own oxygen mask first, if you will, prior to putting on others (like they say on the airplanes) ?
Then Move To OUTWARD ACTION (GENEROSITY & GRATITUDE)
After practicing self-care and getting into the right mindset, you can focus on outward actions. I know we keep hearing the phrase,”we’re all in this together,” but right now we truly are. Good leaders need to look at things from this lense and see the bigger picture.
Practice Empathy - Empathy is knowing where the other person is coming from and is different from sympathy. For example, sympathy is thinking, ’Awww it’s so sad that person is cold and hungry,’ while empathy is thinking that and then taking action, ‘let me go give them a blanket and some food’.
Caring for others is a form of empathy. This is typically considered to be providing physical day-to-day care for someone, but can also include helping your child with distance learning or donating blood for the shortage or maybe you are simply an “ear” for someone who is having a difficult time. Empathy is also listening with your heart vs. your head. Or maybe it’s simply just letting someone “BE” who they truly want to be and not be controlling or dominating or overbearing.
Work to Collaborate - Collaboration is also something that is an important trait for a leader. Collaboration means gathering various diverse perspectives. It involves working together to come up with innovative solutions. It can be really invigorating and help jumpstart problem solving. Many of the most creative solutions come from several minds put together.
Group think and masterminding can be one of the best parts of collaboration and that’s the reason why we form task teams and committees with various different people and different minds and perspectives. Especially right now, collaborating with your fellow small businesses and finding synergies can really be effective and highly productive.
Outward action also involves seeking support where your business may need it. It is helpful to seek out the experts who specialize in your topic at hand. Be clear and humble enough to accept the knowledge as well, because simply seeking it, may not mean, you are ready to receive it. So be aware of where you are in your own process for taking in and accepting advice.
Share, Stand Up, and Communicate - After you’ve gained important insights from the experts, leaders will also support those who can learn from their own expertise. This “abundance mindset” means sharing what you are going to do right now to improve your business. For example, what are your plans/strategies, when it comes to your customers and employees? Share your “WHY” and be as transparent as possible as you can to explain how you came to your decisions and why you are executing your plan in a certain way.
It’s also about standing up when something is difficult, not complaining about it behind closed doors or being outrightly defiant about things. Speaking out and share what it is you are feeling, what it is that you need and explaining clearly WHY you need it. Being clear and transparent builds trust. Trust with your employees, customers or clients, but most importantly, YOURSELF.
Whether you are a Good leader, or a GREAT LEADER…we are all LEADERS, especially right now when we need to figure out the best strategies to get ourselves safely to the “new” normal of business and life. LEADING OURSELVES will be vital to our success, and to have a “3G” (Growth, Generosity, and Gratitude) Mindset will be Key.
There you have it, let’s all Lead ourselves today to a “BETTER” tomorrow…whatever that may be. It shall be interesting to see…
Send me a line or comment below and let me know what is coming up for you. What ways are you showing leadership in your everyday business and life, especially while we’re in crisis?