We often default to talking about “leadership” as being about a single person. While that’s fine in casual discussion, it can lead to real problems in organizations. Leadership should be a mindset that’s encouraged throughout your organization and a skill-set you invest in building for everyone, not just those with the right titles. If you see leadership as a collective exercise, you build a much stronger culture and a more impactful, resilient organization.
We all make mistakes, but some mistakes are more easily avoided than others! These crisis times cause us to make more blunders than normal, but I’m seeing a lot of leaders (of both non-profit and for-profit organizations) talking in ways that point to starting off the re-opening from COVID-19 shutdowns in incredibly damaging ways. This video lays out four of the most common and damaging ones I’m hearing frequently in May and why they are so problematic. Hopefully you don’t fall into these traps!
Leadership is always tricky and leadership in crisis is even moreso. As many organizations move to work from home arrangements, a new situation is causing confusion for both workers and leaders/managers. This interview focused on what leaders need to consider in making this new arrangement successful, while also pointing out that the easy trap (that people should avoid at all costs!) is to simply use technology to reprooduce the “normal” work environment. The reason this is a trap is that many organizations have disengaged workers, poor people management practices, and flawed organizational cultures! While some normalcy is good to not shock people, now is a great time to take stock of bad practices and start to come up with ways of doing things better.
https://cfo.co.za/article/the-coronavirus-has-hitwhat-now-for-business
Coronavirus has quickly changed the landscape for global trade, industries, and day-to-day working habits around the world. While obviously some industries were going to be hit more powerfully than others due to the nature of the virus’s impacts, there are a large number of organizations around the world who are realizing that their organizational models and leadership approaches have put them at even greater risk. This article draws on a book I wrote with some colleagues a few years ago (Leading Schools During Crisis) to offer insights into how to lead during this crisis to hopefully navigate your organization to better times.