If you are experiencing heighten levels of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty, you are not alone. These are unprecedented times we are living in where what we believed was our livelily hood of climbing the corporate ladder or achieving extraordinary success has been completely shut down to protect humanity from COVID-19. This virus isn’t choosey who gets infected nor cares what your social or economic status is, all of us have been reduced to simply being human. Social distancing and self-quarantine are our new normal and it is not known how long we will be living in isolation. In an attempt to flatten the curve, staying home and being incredibly mindful of our exposure to others is our best defense against this pandemic that has caused our world to slow down and even stop.
No amount of leadership training could’ve prepared any of us for the current landscape we are having to lead in. As a leader whose organization has not closed as we are deemed an essential service, it has not been easy for me to stay on top of and respond to all the concerns of my team and others. Their feelings of fear are real and I have not taken any one of their concerns lightly. I spend my days in conference calls about the virus as breaking news is constantly formulating new strategies, I am responding to my team’s growing issues around working remotely and addressing why haven’t we shut down already since so many countries have closed their borders. The emotional toll this has taken on me has manifested in mental and physical fatigue. As a leader, who does your team turn to for guidance and reassurance, it’s you. And especially in times of extreme crisis, you become their north star.
So how does a leader lead through a global pandemic? It’s important to understand humanity is craving Maslow’s basic need for safety and security. We are operating from our flight and fight portion of our brains where the desire for survival is incredibly heightened – this may explain the toilet paper obsession. Our teams and loved ones need to be reassured of their safety. Empathizing with their concerns while reassuring them the necessary measures and protocols are being put in place is important. Over communicating is critical during these times. Too much of the right information can put the hearts and minds of your team at ease freeing their mental capacity to focus on the task at hand. Practicing social distancing and self-isolation are the right protocols and practices to keep everyone safe however it does create virtual barriers when trying to connect with my team where before, walking over to their desk made essentially translating my leader’s standard work from a walk around to skype calls. During these check-ins, I make sure to inquire about them and their family’s wellbeing first before following up on tasks and activities. If there was a time to start practicing your emotional intelligence skills, this would be it!
I thought I truly understood the role self-care played in being an effective leader – I exercise to decompress my stress levels so I could maintain being laser focus and mentally sharp. However, I think I was in denial all these years that my team’s emotions didn’t affect me as much as I thought – goodness was I completely wrong. These last few weeks have tested my emotional well-being. I have been vulnerable, confused, frustrated, annoyed, and sympathetic and without the gym and steam room as my saving grace forced me to reformulate a new self-care regimen that takes care of all of me (I lack all motivation to work out at home). Meditation, journaling, walking and maintaining my practice of being self-aware have really helped me to stay grounded and remain positive!
Reference Material:
https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/how-to-lead-through-a-crisis/
https://www.inc.com/amy-george/6-ways-you-can-show-true-leadership-during-a-crisis.html
https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-to-managing-your-newly-remote-workers
