The past few months have revealed a human side that often stays hidden away in our busy day-to-day lives. The early chaotic stages of the crisis brought us right back to our basic needs: comfort, security, and someone to tell us that everything will be okay. Even now, as the adrenaline wears off and we start to look further down the road to a more sustainable future, basic concerns still loom with a sense of urgency. There’s a lot we don’t know—like when and how things are going to get back to normal—which leaves many of us yearning for clarity. Many of us are also feeling vulnerable after the turbulence of the past few months and in need of more care and attention. That fragility can make it harder to show strength in our personal and professional lives.
This poses something of a challenge. We crave guidance in the face of uncertainty, yet we also need to lead. We have a fundamental desire for reassurance, yet the message coming from all corners is that we need to transform our society, our organizations, and ourselves. It’s all over social and traditional media:
- “Reinvent yourself!”
- “Switch your business operations to PPE!”
- “So many people are depending on you. How will you survive?”
- “How are you giving back?”
Which is the right path to take: should we concentrate on our own survival and core needs, or plunge in and push forward?
From our point of view, it’s both.
Finding the momentum for caring and compassion on the one hand and big-picture thinking on the other can seem like a tall order, and it is. Luckily, our peer discussions help you explore five core aspects of leadership and development so you can emerge from this crisis fresh and well-positioned for sustainable growth and success.
- Management and Leadership Basics: If you and your team haven’t already laid the foundations, get cracking and brush up on the basics of management and leadership.
- Understanding Yourself to Better Understand Others: Leadership and change move from the inside out, so look inward and be the change you want to see.
- Managing through Chaos: We’ve been running on adrenaline. Now how do we dig deeper to fuel catalytic leadership that promotes your health, the health of others, and that of the organization as a whole?
- Employee Engagement: Many teams have gone virtual, but people are still people. They crave connection, proximity, and a sense of togetherness. They need to be heard and they need to see your abilities as a leader in action. So don’t limit your approach to standard rewards. Take your team beyond engagement by seeing each member as a true individual.
- Collaboration: If we’ve learned one lesson from COVID-19, it’s how interdependent we are. Our actions have repercussions in the wider world, which is why we need to put community first, be accountable, and build open and generative relationships that pave the way for a brighter future.
We introduce these concepts through readings and open up discussions that foster disruption*. We combine new ideas, fresh perspectives, and best practices to successfully challenge beliefs, paradigms, and habits that have become entrenched over the years, breaking through the existing boundaries to land on something better or create something totally new.
The time to hit reset has arrived. Let’s talk about how we can help you take the plunge and push forward to thrive beyond the COVID-19 crisis.
Are you considering what you need to do as a leader to make a difference today AND prepare for tomorrow? If you’re ready to take your team to the next level, reach out, we can help! Contact us!
*Our facilitator-led peer discussions use CoachingOurselves a Henry Mintzberg Peer Coaching Approach to help you move forward as a team.