What you said

The challenges of COVID-19 compounded by social unrest have tasked leaders with unprecedented levels of uncertainty, fragility, and dramatic change, but similar to discussions from our roundtable with leaders last May, it seems that many organizations are still valiantly rising to the challenge.

Culled from among more than 250 responses to a survey we prepared as part of the registration for our July 30 webinar with Multipliers author Liz Wiseman and collaborator Shawn Vanderhoven, below are some highlights from what people said are their biggest challenges and also ways in which they’ve felt empowered or tried to empower others.

The responses help us more fully realize we are not alone. They also can provide us with some inspiration for the weeks and months ahead.

One thing we’re especially happy to see, at least from this group of leaders and despite what we’re often seeing on the news, the world is full of people who care about one another and are trying to do their best. 

We hope these responses help you feel inspired and optimistic that there are brighter days ahead. It’s up to all of us to help create them.

Biggest challenges:

• Feeling connected to my team
• Inspiring others who are disengaged and worried, increasing morale
• Finding work/life balance
• Working from home and staying sane with younger children
• Sorting through the chaos
• Knowing we need to sustain our teams for a long trajectory
• Walking the line between being focused and flexible
• Managing shifting priorities
• Balancing the urgency/pace of change with people’s need to process the changes
• Converting to a virtual environment
• Engaging others while working remotely or in a mask
• Not having natural opportunities for casual conversations that build teamwork, trust, and a sense of community
• Staying motivated
• Keeping the team engaged and encouraging a work/life balance when the workload is really heavy
• Balancing the need to survive as a company vs. creating a great company culture
• Creating inclusiveness in a time of separation

Ways in which they have felt empowered:

• Seeing people take on more than they’re asked to do
• When others acknowledge the challenges leaders face
• Seeing competent, professional, self-sufficient team members capable of leading and executing projects, tasks, and responsibilities on their own
• We get more done working remotely
• Coming together to support each other
• Working well together in the midst of utter chaos. We have supported each other from every angle possible.
• Everyone has been so supportive to growing new ideas and innovations to keep the business running. Everyone has been encouraged to share their ideas and think outside the box.
• People are supportive and graceful.
• Care packages from the company have been uplifting
• They have all stepped up and done what has been needed.
• COVID is requiring us to change the way we do things. Some of these changes have needed to occur for awhile. I now feel empowered to push ahead on some things because management is more open to change.
• There has been an opportunity for a deeper connection both individually and as a team.

How they have tried to empower and uplift others:

• We did a “Goat-2-Meeting”
• Sending notes in the mail
• Staying positive and sharing positive stories
• More team calls and 1:1 meetings
• Putting more trust in the team
• Role model vulnerability and encourage safety for others to do the same
• Showing empathy and trying to meet them where they are
• More frequent check-ins and pep talks
• Continually listen, observe, check-in, and see how staff members are doing
• Optional social check-ins that are well attended (but optional) talking about ourselves as whole people in a new way
• State the challenge but not dictate the solution
• It’s a fine balance between micromanaging and trying to show you are supportive and available. This is a constant challenge but even more so now.
• Asking “what can I do to help you?”
• Trying to connect on a more personal level and be more transparent. There are so many emotions involved with this space and time that to ignore them would not only stand in the way of performance but does not seem humane to me.
• I ask a lot of questions like “What else?”, “How do you feel about ‘x’ happening?”, and “How do you think we can make this happen?”
• Drawing a blue sky/rainbow sky is the limit for them to be bold and think differently. Increased debriefs, sending handwritten thank you notes, being more involved in projects, providing feedback, and direction, providing new tools

Visit the webinar replay page for tips from Liz and Shawn on how to be more of a multiplier leader, especially during times of crisis, and diminishing behaviors to watch out for.

Get special access here (registration is not required).