According to Webster Dictionary, a leader can be defined as a powerful person who controls or influences what other people do. Leading and navigating an organization through a challenge like this year is unimaginable. Being a leader is already hard, and to add a now eight-month long pandemic on top of that makes it even worse. How do you tell those around you that everything is going to be okay, when you are not 100% sure? In the face of uncertainty, human instinct is to worry. There are a few ways you can continue to lead greatly through the end of this year and into the still unknown with this virus.
Communication and Transparency
With a pandemic, news outlets and media coverage are always updating with the latest economy updates and industry news. The best way to ensure continuous productivity and trust within your team is to stay in constant communication, while also being transparent. The choice to be direct and honest with every detail could make or break your team’s effectiveness. Share the good and the bad. Celebrate successes and discuss failures. We are all in this together.
Take Care of Each Other
It is important that in a time of unknown, each person’s wellbeing is prioritized above anything else. The crisis has caused disruptions for people financially, socially, in safety, in health, and in other ways as well. Some of the emotion, anxiety, and stress that has come from the unknown of the past eight months has caused exhaustion and in some cases affected performance. It is important to have a subtle understanding right now for everyone in the office.
Look Forward, Not Back
The pandemic will pass, and life will return to normal, even if it is a new normal. A good leader will look ahead to a hopeful future. In doing so, you will inspire your employees; you will inspire them to understand that you can only control your purpose, your values, and how you respond in a time of crisis. As Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA head, “this is a hard moment—but it is a brief moment in our history.”
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