There is no leadership manual for dealing with a once-in-a-century global health emergency—no script to guide what you need to say to your business team members, customers, and stakeholders. Right now, everyone's leadership skills are being tested in ways we could hardly have imagined a month ago. It's not just about how resilient our organizations are and how quickly they can adapt to lockdowns and travel restrictions. It is a challenge to our resilience as human beings. When Stewart Butterfield, the founder of Slack, tweeted in recent days how his business was responding to the Covid-19 emergency, he introduced his comments with a simple introductory note: "I'm a human." I care about my family, and I am deeply concerned about the millions of people whose jobs and health are at risk. It was the correct starting note. I've always believed that great leadership is forged in the crucible of adversity, but great leaders are those who react with empathy and vulnerability even when making the toughest decisions. We all need reserves of determination and positivity precisely when these qualities are strained. Where do these reserves come from? Here are four ways to build resilience:
Have your resilience
Meet one of the most remarkable people I know, Debra Searle. She is a successful businesswoman, writer and television presenter, and has been twice honored by the Queen for her achievements in her native UK and beyond. She has a mental toolbox that has served her well in one of the most difficult trials imaginable: rowing solo across 3000 miles of ocean in a boat built for two. Debra's advice ranges from "directing the movie," visualizing yourself confronting and overcoming the tough times ahead, to choosing her attitude on a daily basis. "It's the only thing she had to choose from," says Debra. “Every day, she chose an attitude: she said it out loud. She had to be positive. Negative attitudes were prohibited on the ship. "
Keep communicating
Keep Talking Keep Listening Our team is openly communicating across multiple channels as the coronavirus crisis unfolds and following the decision to ask staff to work remotely. There are virtual meetings, recorded sessions, emails, and I have opened my schedule to anyone in the business to reserve time for a conversation. And these conversations have ranged from the current crisis, to the response from our clients, to just plain laughing at our home office kidnappings. The most important message is how to embrace the "new normal" for the entire team. We all need to prioritize and support our family in times like these. To some, the new standard may seem like two adults competing for home Internet bandwidth to answer the screams of one or two children. For others, they could be parents or parents at risk. But whatever the new standard for every colleague, there's one thing everyone should know about their boss: putting your family and well-being first. If something has to give in life now, let it work.
When all is done think and learn
When this crisis is over, and it will in time, the temptation is for leaders to rush in without looking back. But part of resilience is learning lessons. Former US Navy SEAL Commander Mark McGinnis describes this as part of the "corporate battle rhythm": a full cycle of plan, brief, execute, and assemble. "After a mission, we immediately find ourselves in a very sacred environment where there is no rank, no blame, no privilege, no seniority, and we sit and talk without flinching about mission successes and failures. It's important to capture both," he says. "Success because we want to keep doing things that work and fail because we can't afford to make the same mistake twice. If we repeat mistakes in my world, it will have catastrophic results." And the output of a SEAL team briefing isn't limited to the mission team. The lessons are open to all SEALs, from top to bottom. "I speed up the experience for everyone, whether they're going out and trading or not," says Mark. Take time to reflect and keep a record; No two crises are the same, but there will be lessons to be learned from your organization's response to Covid-19.
Lead like your kids are watching
Essentially, times of crisis challenge leaders to be the best versions of themselves. I remember an idea Sean Pederson of Trek Bicycles had a few years back: "Ride like your kids are watching." This is great advice. And now, if you're reading this while working at home, they probably are. Alex Shootman is CEO of Workfront