Leading From the Front

By Misha Rae

These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.

- Former First lady of the United States of America, Abigail Adams

The opportunity presented by the pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us with an opportunity, that we must recognize as a moment for fundamental change. We must ensure that we take advantage of the situation while it lasts and extract as much value as possible, both for our companies and for ourselves, as individuals. For now, let’s focus on what this means for companies.

For an organization to be successful during this time, it is critical that equal emphasis is placed on both performance and health.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Organizations must be intentional about this balance as it builds its resilience, improves the lives and engagement of employees, and creates much needed mindset shifts. This is the responsibility of the Transformation team - to increase the working metabolism of the organization, ensure initiatives are progressing quickly - keeping focus on the impact - while monitoring the health of the organization.

How an effective Transformation team fosters the balance

Remove organisational roadblocks: Identifying those processes which slow progress across the company and quickly push for change.
Encourage appropriate behaviours: Fostering a culture where, engrained in the company’s DNA, is continuous feedback, openness, trust, a willingness to try new things and failures are embraced as opportunities.
Acknowledge achievements: Celebrating wins, no matter how small. This will encourage employees to build a winning streak habit and keep the momentum going.

During such times of uncertainty, it becomes critical for the Transformation team to visibly lead from the front, as employees become more anxious, which can let frustration set in. It is at this time that leaders must be deliberate in unlocking the people power. They must set the tone and infuse and reinforce the higher purpose of the culture and give clarity about strategic decisions made to move the organization forward.

How leaders move the organization forward

Start by empowering employees to make decisions that they think will positively impact the customer experience.
Be supportive, acknowledging that the struggle with mental health is real and can negatively affect employees. Also being cognizant that each employee has unique situations to deal with, whether it’s dependents at home vying for attention or just coping with personal and professional fears.
Nurture the culture to boost employee morale and remove some of those hierarchical barriers. Be the leader you would want to lead you through a crisis.