Leading in the Time of COVID-19

Leaders who can keep people engaged and motivated in times of crisis are those who will inspire greatness under any conditions.
I saw an excellent example of this in my neighborhood lately. What started out as a few friends meeting for a workout in someone’s garage has blossomed into twice weekly neighborhood sessions. One household volunteered an empty open lot, to allow for proper social distancing, while others stepped up to lead their neighbors through a fitness routine.
It’s cool to see what can come out of the craziest times of adversity. We’re coming together as a neighborhood now, and we’ll be that much stronger as a neighborhood after.
This is what inspired leadership looks like. Instead of worrying about themselves, leaders get together to share their talent, their resources, and their energy with others.
Leaders—whether they’re a titled executive or an informal influencer lower down the ranks—step up an encourage others. They make a difference for people by inspiring them and motivating them to become better versions of themselves, whatever that might look like.
I know the same dynamic is playing out again and again in the business community. There are those leaders that buoy others up and find new ways to grow through COVID-19, and then there are leaders who have a pity party and point fingers.
The former will come of out this pandemic stronger than they went in. The others will inevitably be weakened and may not make it through to the other side at all.
In good times, most businesses can do well. A lot of flaws can be hidden by growing sales in a good economy. But in down times, that’s when true leaders shine. Those leaders look for the things they can control and work on those key areas.
We’ve seen businesses innovate in these times, creating new products or services or new ways of reaching their customers. When things go back to “normal,” those companies will not only get the vast majority of their business back, they’ll have a new service or channel to sell into.
These are challenging times to be sure. And I’m not opposed to having a little rant now and then. We all need time to vent. But we can’t survive when we live in the negative.
Leadership means finding opportunity in the challenge. It means finding new systems and new ways to thrive. It means focusing less on barriers in the pandemic and looking instead for the pivot points.
As business leaders, we’re at an apex. We have an opportunity to reshape our services and our organizations and get on top of all the innovation that is coming. Do that, and you can come out stronger and more diversified than you were pre-pandemic.