Helping our leaders lead during COVID-19

The role of a leader has never been more critical. But are we giving them the tools they need to succeed?

Over the last 4 weeks, the world as we know it has changed. Most employees have been forced to work from home to assist their organizations in making often radical pivots to survive this crisis. They're doing this while juggling family responsibilities and worries about their health and their own job security. Stress levels are off the charts, and to say there’s a fair amount of uncertainty is a massive understatement.

The role of a leader has never been more critical. But are we giving them the tools they need to succeed?

A recent Wall Street Journal article quoted Roberta Matuson, an executive coach known as the “talent maximizer,” speaking to the critical importance of leaders stepping up now. “How good a job you do leading right now through this crisis will have an impact on your career. There will be a time when the organization comes back together and people will assess who are the leaders that did really well during this crisis and who didn’t.”

Some leadership behaviors and actions take on greater importance during these unprecedented times, and the leaders who are skilled in doing the following stand a better chance of keeping their teams engaged, productive, and ready to move their organizations forward.

4 behaviors leaders need to exhibit to help their teams successfully navigate this crisis

1. Demonstrate that you have a strategy for getting through this: Even if it’s evolving and changing due to external forces, having a plan helps people believe that their leaders are competent and confident.
2. Communicate, communicate, then communicate some more: During times of crisis and change, leaders need to over-communicate. When there’s a lack of information, rumor and worry rush in to fill the void. Even if you don’t have all the answers, say so.
3. Be trustworthy and empathetic to employee needs: Where there’s a lack of trust and empathy, employees feel that their leaders don’t care about them, and when this crisis is over, they may take their talents elsewhere.
4. Provide a path for development: While it’s tempting to pull back the reigns on developing your leaders, think again. We are working with many clients right now by delivering remote training, just-in-time micro learning bursts delivered to mobile phones, and other virtual solutions to equip leaders and their teams with the tools they need to successfully lead their organizations during these unprecedented times.

These 4 critical behaviors will pay immediate dividends during this crisis and position your organization for long-term success.