As I speak with colleagues and friends around the world, I am seeing a few patterns emerge out of this pandemic crisis we are currently experiencing. Some people and businesses are busier than ever. The pandemic has created a situation within their work that requires more activity than usual, and combining this with working from home, is stretching them into significant discomfort. At the same time, others are finding themselves paralyzed by inaction. Uncertain of what’s to come, their business feels stalled. For leaders in either of these situations, there are things you can do to mitigate the negative impact, feel more in control, and move beyond the present. Give these three suggestions a try.
1. Re-think Everything
So much is in flux during these times. What to do? What strategy to implement? How best to organize ourselves virtually to execute? As you work on these questions and more within your business, form a group whose job is only to work on a Plan B. A plan that rethinks everything about your business, the market situation, and duration of this crisis.
Fareed Zakaria said in his “My Take” piece on his Sunday program “GPS: The Global Public Square” on CNN, that we are experiencing the beginning of what will be a long series of cascading crisis around the globe that will impact the world’s economies for years to come. What has begun with a health crisis, is causing an immediate economic crisis in terms of unemployment and government stimulus.
These two situations will lead to a re-thinking of numerous aspects of our political, economic and social lives. For example, countries may re-organize their approach to education to make access more equitable as this crisis exposes the problems of unequal access. Healthcare in some nations is being revealed to be woefully inadequate and will require reform. Transportation, manufacturing, and consumption will all go through profound change to the way we have known them to be. Society and culture is also subject to deep change, wherein the priorities of the past will not be the priorities of the future.
We all want to return to the way things were, however, we must consider the possibility that there is no going back, and there is only going forward to a new way of life and business after this pandemic has passed. As a result, it is prudent for business leaders to not only lead through this crisis, but be prepared to re-think everything about who they are, what they do, and why.
2. Respond With Focus
Our desire to control is strong. When the world feels it is spiraling out of control we look for refuge from the storm in terms of whatever can make us feel “in control”. However, one of the great things to learn from this pandemic is that we are not, and never have been “in control”. That doesn’t mean we can’t have some control over ourselves and our businesses, but having some control is different than believing we are "in control". The sooner we leave the notion of being "in control" behind, the sooner we can focus on the only control there is; our ability to respond. We don’t have to be "in control" in order to be happy, successful or fulfilled. We are all moving towards the same end, and the clock ticks by for everyone equally. We cannot control time. However, we can control how we choose to spend our time. We do not control the universe, nature or earth per se, but we can respond to the challenges each places in our paths.
Developing our awareness about what we lies outside of our nexus of control will allow us to focus only on our ability to respond. Anytime spent otherwise is time spent inside the illusion of being “in control”.
3. Don’t Forget To Feel
We’ve come to see business and our work within it as a purely intellectual endeavor. One that leverages intelligence and logic. It’s not a place for emotions or feelings. But increasingly research is showing that we are fully integrated beings and separating emotions from intellect is not conducive to raising effectiveness in collaboration and interaction at work.
Bring your whole self to work in so much as you recognize your emotions and the emotions of others. Accept the validity of your emotions and give them time and space to process themselves. Processing our emotions means allowing yourself to feel what you are feeling. To fully feel how you are doing, without those feelings having to drive decision making instead of our intellect and logic.
It’s ok to feel bad or overwhelmed. What’s not ok, is to become stuck in these states or paralyzed to act by being in them. We need to feel, acknowledge and be able to move on. By feeling more fully, we move through our emotions and maintain a healthier state of well-being with which to face the challenges of work. We become more resilient, are able to focus more fully, and experience happiness more deeply.
Conclusion
These times are more than just challenging. They are life altering. There are many tips, tricks, and skills leaders can learn to lead people and teams through the darkness of this pandemic crisis. As you call upon your best knowledge and skill, try re-thinking everything. It will open up new possibilities and allow you to feel more control. Respond with focus, meaning be clear on what is within and outside of your control. Focus on your ability to respond. After all, it’s the only power any of us have. Finally, don’t forget to feel. We are human, not just logical, thinking beings that can turn our emotions on and off. Feel what you feel to the fullest and move through your emotions so you can be there for others during these trying times.
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