10 Leadership lessons from the Covid Crisis

It is an oft-repeated truism to say that the Covid crisis caught all of us unawares. We simply were not prepared for the scope and the complexity of the pandemic. The world of masks and lockdowns and constant sanitising was new and frightening to us. And so, we had to quickly find ways of responding and leading and keeping our organisations and our teams supported, aligned, and valued. Regenesys recently held an online webinar with seven senior executives from leading companies in India. They openly and honestly shared their personal first-hand experiences in responding to the crisis and providing hope and direction to the many employees in their large organisations.

Here is a summary of what they shared:

Be calm

The need to be calm came through strongly. A leader cannot perform if he or she is distracted or disoriented. The panellists pointed out the importance of maintaining a calm interior and a calm exterior. This provided hope and encouragement to the team as they perceived that the leader has the crisis in hand and that somehow everything will turn out alright.

Courage and power

The covid crisis was sudden and unexpected. There were no tried and tested behavioural patterns to fall back on. There were no benchmarks with which to compare. Consequently, leaders stepped into the role and responded to what needed to be done. They started with the small things like connecting with employees and making sure that every team member was supported. The notion of “no one left behind” had powerful resonance here. This attitude of stepping up to the task imbued panellists with the realist ion that they had the personal power to enable them to confront the situation successfully.

The solution lies in the team

Panellists were quite open about the fact that they did not have all the answers in dealing with the crisis. Instead, they leant on their teams. They honestly expressed their vulnerability and in response, their teams melded together to provide support, contribute new ideas, solve problems, and keep the organisation together. Everyone can be a leader. A crisis is an opportunity for everyone to rise to the occasion and lead, regardless of their place and role in the organisation.

Crisis groups

One organisation developed the system of buddy support which they called crisis groups. Every employee was paired with another employee, and they were empowered to take care of each other. The two members checked in with each other every day, shared concerns about work, health, and finances and escalated et to the appropriate level when these could not be resolved.

Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable

Contrary to some of the stereotypes of the rough, tough, always-in-control manager, panellists report the power of being vulnerable to their teams. Expressing their fears, concerns, and feelings of inadequacy, built strong emotional rapport with their teams. Team members this honest admission of humanity gave them the space to stand up and contribute.

Security and support

The value of providing security and support was strongly emphasised. The response varied depending on the type of organisation and the resources available to it. Some organisations were able to maintain full salaries. Others continued with health insurance and partial salaries. Individual cases of hardship were dealt with in a case-by-case manner.

Live from moment to moment

Panellists expressed the requirement to adjust the operational horizon. Long term planning and neat strategic plans went out of the window. Their focus was on the immediate situation – being able to respond fully and unreservedly to the situation before them.

Do not delay innovation

This was an unusual observation. The gist is simple. Organisations continually have ideas about improving the organisation, improving efficiency, and enhancing performance. Sometimes these initiatives are put off because of operational clutter, lack of management appetite for change or insufficient support or funding.

Resilience

Everyone in a leadership position has built up a personal reservoir of resilience. It’s the ability to stand up after being knocked down, to persevere and to push when everything is against you. Panellists reported that their own experience of resilience kept them going, knowing that in the past they had dealt successfully with problems and crises and had emerged stronger and wiser. They had an inner acceptance that they would come out on the other side.

Be comfortable with ambiguity

Life is not clear cut. Reality is not contained in neatly labelled boxes. Situations are not either/or, they are both/and. The ability to hold opposing ideas and situations in mind was a powerful contributor to successfully dealing with the Covid crisis. Dealing with and being comfortable with ambiguity was part of being able to craft and manage responses.

The skills and insights of leading in times of crisis are equally applicable in times of relative calm and certainty. All the panellists reported that dealing with Covid had made them better leaders and had made them into better people. Sometimes in the all-consuming priorities of meeting operational and financial goals, we lose sight of keeping our teams with us. Our teams are not instruments with which to gain success, they are the success our organisation needs. When we lead our teams in a connected fashion the success looks after itself.

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