Leading in the Time of Corona
Leadership is different in this day and age and it changed overnight. This isn't a newsflash to anyone, but how it is different may not be as obvious as we may think.
All of us are adapting to leadership and operating as teams in a virtual setting. Much of our focus is going toward how to "rally the troops" from behind a screen and indeed many were already accustomed to such a remote management system. But, since many of us were thrown into this new virtual sphere because of a crisis and because we are dealing with people, there is much more to consider than technology.
Even when we were able to meet in the same physical space, every individual brought their WHOLE self to work. We could ignore it to the detriment of the individual and the team, but it is a fallacy that we leave our personal lives at home. Especially today, everyone has an aging parent that they are caring for, someone ill with Covid-19, their own legitimate fears that they or a loved one will contract it, fears about being laid off, worries about finances, and so much more. Create a vulnerable environment where these concerns can be discussed and practice as much transparency as possible. No, this isn't the place for group therapy, but a little compassion goes a long way in showing your team that you care.
Allow space for grief and provide resources such as an EAP for the professional help that is needed. Many of your team members may suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental illness and the difficult emotions that this crisis is bringing on just exacerbates them.
You're scared, too. You don't have to pretend that you aren't. You likely have all the same concerns as your team and it's ok to be vulnerable. This doesn't mean that you need to bleed on them, but studies show that leaders who are vulnerable have employees who are committed. Again, these are human beings with mirror neurons and everything that goes into being human.
As another matter of vulnerability, it's ok to say the words, "I don't know." Sure, leaving it at that may not be the best option, so a follow-up of, "Let's figure it out together" leads to buy-in and collaboration from the rest of the team. The temptation will be there to seem like you have all the answers, but don't give into it. This is new territory for everyone. Allow everyone to use their talents to be a part of the solution and don't put all of the pressure on yourself to solve (or seem like you already have solved) everything. That's just a recipe for burnout and mistrust.
Stay curious. Taking a coach approach to leadership is always a good idea, but in uncertain times like these, your team will not only take more reassurance, but also be more motivated by you leading them with powerful questions and deep listening rather than demands and directives.
Yes, we are constantly surrounded by troubling news. Yes, we grieve and experience the stress of the times. Yes, we must recognize what is happening and acknowledge the loss that has occurred. It's also true that constantly talking about the negative isn't healthy. Nor is it helpful to ask questions that fully put the onus on the individual. "We need to make our numbers, how are you going to get us there?" is a question that activates the NEA - Negative Emotional Affectors and causes the team member to shut down and become defensive. If, however, you were to ask something like, "Let's dream together. If nothing stood in our way, how could we each use our talents to get to $10 million" the Positive Emotional Affectors would be activated and people would get excited to lend their ideas and activity to reach the goal.
This list is hardly exhaustive, so stay tuned for the next article on disruption and transformation.
