4 Ways to Maintain Effective Leadership During the COVID-19 Crisis
As a leader, how do you maintain steady leadership amid the COVID-19 crisis and, furthermore, remotely?
The reality of business has changed overnight. There is a multitude of challenges leaders might be facing right now, such as innovation or the swift creation and adoption of new processes. Yet no matter what the challenge, there’s one strategic area of focus that’s more important now than ever: effective leadership.
Gallup researched what employee needs leaders need to fulfill in order for them to feel engaged, sustain the employer-employee bond, and maintain a connection with their work. Of the 10,000 people in non-executive job roles between 2005 and 2008 that they studied, Gallup found that trust, compassion, stability, and hope are critical to fulfilling employee needs.
With that in mind, here’s how you can use these needs to guide you in leading effectively during the coronavirus crisis:
Trust: Authenticity above all
If ever there was a time for transparency, it’s now. When you openly share the plans you’re putting into place, employees are more likely to feel engaged and buy into your vision.
As you craft business continuity plans and leadership narratives, remember the power of honesty, transparency, and authentic communication. It builds the kind of trust that can decide the success of your operations and plans.
Compassion: Be visible and show a strong leadership presence
Employees expect compassion and a sense of positivity from their leaders, and as a leader, there are several ways you can practice compassion during these times.
Check-in often with employees and managers alike, preferably via video calls so they can see your face. Make it a point to understand what challenges they might be facing while adapting to their new remote functions so you can problem-solve any barriers to their success. Genuine and authentic communications are the pathway to engagement, connection, and a sense of community and culture — even remotely.
Stability: Choose well-being above all else
For employers who can make the shift, the move to remote work is a monumentally critical piece in preventing further spread of the coronavirus. It’s a vital demonstration of an employer’s regard for an employee’s physical safety but the enormity of this health crisis also touches the financial, social, community, and career sectors.
Remember that high emotional stress significantly impacts performance and can even be debilitating for some. Approach all your actions and communications with a sense of understanding and a commitment to be a source of stability for those who depend on you.
Hope: Let your purpose and values guide you
Showing your hope for the future is the best way to inspire employees to share in it with you. Look to your company’s purpose and values to guide what that means for you collectively.
Action in this realm can be as big as adopting a new project that directly helps efforts to fight the coronavirus or as simple as being a calming presence through kind, supportive, and caring communications with clients and workers.
Whatever actions you take, be proactive and note the outcomes, successes, and failures — they’ll all be instrumental in building resiliency.
As companies shift to remote work, we’re all trading face-to-face interactions and the familiar structure of office life for digital communications and reorganized priorities. However, social distancing and remote work don’t have to mean disconnection. It’s my goal to help you make these employee needs actionable; leading by example through this time of change.
Learn more about how you can navigate this “new normal” with success. Let’s chat.