You, who is reading this blog, must have been caught up with sky-high anxiety for your shaky job security in this new age of COVID-19. Even if you are not, you have a family member who is facing the same or know of some similar sufferers. Yes, we are going through a very crucial time, and there’s no denying that. Such challenging times demand strong leadership. A leader who would be able to show direction calmly and inspire the anxious and fearful teams with apposite planning is the one.
The working pattern and structure have completely been rewritten by the pandemic in the past four months. In an article , Forbes stated that many international organizations had already started to work towards making digital and remote workspace a priority by 2025. The only difference is that now the organizations worldwide have been doing the same thing, and fast.
In such a situation, one question that has popped up in every mind is – What kind of a leader can make the organizations sail smoothly in this crucial time, and what are the roles of this new normal that the leaders should fit in? In an earlier blog, we mentioned three tips for remote leaders who want to make a difference. Today we will be adding a few additional points to help you.
The foremost obligation of today’s leader is to be capable of ‘handling uncertainty’.
A leader always goes by one perfect plan, but is it possible to plan when the very near future is filled with uncertainty? With the world going through an exceptional transformation, is it possible to have a long-term outlook? So, handling this uncertainty is an urgency now! The clearer the leaders can be on pinpointing the target, the better will be the team communication, and this, in turn, will churn out some effective business decisions. A leader is capable of handling uncertainty only when he or she knows what exactly is crucial at one point of time, adapt to that and work towards that.
Challenging circumstances call for ‘empathy’; the leaders need to embrace it.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought us face to face with the very basics of human lives and reminded us of our capabilities to see one another as human beings instead of machines. Gone are the days of work floors, board rooms, and conference halls, we have now embraced the very realities of our homes. Starting from someone’s toddler appearing on the screen in between a video call to someone’s mother shouting in between a conference call, each one of us has become part of all our personal lives too. Leaders are no more distant and covert, but they are embracing empathy whole-heartedly. This is being regarded as a transformation in the dynamics between a leader and his or her followers.
It’s about time leadership is ‘redefined’.
This pandemic has pulled out the best in leaders worldwide. Their qualities have been severely tested, yet they didn’t give up and are not giving up to date. Every employee is fighting, irrespective of designation, KPIs, and even targets, just to keep the business rolling. A great example of a budding collaboration has been set. It is about time every employee is supported, and leadership is redefined so that we keep standing tall.
The coveted transition for a better future!
Coming from a leader’s perspective, it is not okay to stop preparing for the future even if it looks blurred. This age of pandemic is providing us with a great learning opportunity as well as carving out a better, more effective, and more efficient leadership. Hence, for a leader, the only right thing to do right now is to embrace the transition, motivate the employees, and just keep operating, full-blown!
