COVID-19 has enhanced the pace of change like the world could have never imagined. Other than the gloomy picture of struggle, death and emotions that it has painted the world with, the mis-management by many leaders across the world is a lesson in what not-to-do.
The world was not prepared for a crisis of this magnitude, but could we have been ready ever? Maybe no. But can we re-orient for the future? Yes!
So let us look at what can we, as future leaders, learn to prepare better for uncertainties and upheavals. And needless to say, many countries could have been in a better state to manage the crisis and protect its people from the claws of this pandemic, had the leaders been humble enough to accept and learn. Maybe we can do that on our own level in whatever places and roles we are.
1. Do not ignore evidences and always take decisions that are supported in facts:
COVID has shown us that misinformation and guesswork do no good and in fact can push an organization (Read: country, I mean – aren’t countries organisations too?) into spirals of devastation. It is best to have people in a team who believe in scientific analysis and act on informed decisions. At this point, I would refrain from making the very obvious reference to a government that is preferring to bury its head in the ground.
2. Collaboration and Cooperation are keys to survival:
COVID-19 has impacted almost every country of the world, and hence it is absolutely necessary for all the global leaders to work together in tackling it – right from sharing health data to supporting through supplies of medicines, etc. In the industry you would work, always know that the stakeholders must work in tandem to achieve mission critical priorities.
3. You must always continue to learn:
COVID-19 also spread its devastation because many leaders were overconfident in their abilities and that they said they are doing the best they can, while ground reality spoke a different story. It is of utmost importance for every leader to introspect – “Where do I lack? What can I do better?”. And of course, accept criticism with grace. When India went into a lockdown in March 2020 and uncertainty loomed over education and work, the technology leaders rose to do better and what we witness today in the form of virtual classrooms and conference rooms is a beautiful progress. It is, henceforth, crucial that one must always think critically to strive to perform better for one’s own growth which will ultimately contribute to the growth of the organization.
4. Be empathetic:
This quality is what makes teams identify themselves with the leader and company, and hence contribute better to their goals. Especially in times like these, an empathetic leader can keep the team motivated and positive by understanding that change has not been easy on anyone, and that uncertainty does take the better of us on many occasions. “Zoom fatigue” is real, and when clubbed with maybe having a family member sick, or being alone, the situation can worsen a lot. Hence leaders must make a conscious choice to be empathetic and set boundaries, and lead by example. A simple “Is everything ok at home? Are you feeling overwhelmed?” can go a long way in building trust.
5. You must be transparent and accessible for better connections:
And I am saying this when we are at our homes, connecting just virtually with cameras turned off on most occasions. It then becomes important for us to take the lead and organise maybe coffee sessions where team members can talk and connect. It also makes it easier for people to reach out for support in case of anxiety.
I hope you will try to adapt some of these in your own journey at work. We always had history to learn from, but none this time. So let us focus on what we can do in the present and the future to be better professionals and better people overall to work with.
- By LitSoc, FMS Delhi