We are all leaders now
Who is depending on you to show up as your best self today? Your child? Elderly parent? Partner or friend? Employees? Patients? Colleagues? All of these? We are all leaders now. How we lead now seems more important than ever.
“The true strength of a leader has both a strong back of a warrior and the open heart”, says Jerry Colonna, executive coach and CEO of Reboot.io.
Here’s what I’m observing in the great leaders guiding us through the COVID-19 crisis.
They are:
- Making decisions based on scientific data and reliable expert opinion.
- Communicating regularly and clearly.
- Transparent about the costs of the situation and their intent for how they want things to turn out.
- Showing vulnerability and embracing the uncertainty of the moment.
- Adjusting course swiftly as new information becomes available.
- Prioritizing decisions and delegating.
- Focused on the mission without compromising the wellbeing of others.
- Willing to “take one for the team”.
- Aware of how their emotions, energy, and speech impact those around them.
- Doing what they need to stay calm and centered in the middle of this storm: exercising, doing yoga, meditating, and making the effort to stay connected with their loved ones.
What they are not doing:
- Pretending they know all the answers.
- Downplaying the severity of the situation.
- Making promises they can’t keep.
- Asking others to do what they are not willing to do themselves.
What they have been doing all along:
- Establishing trust and credibility.
- Welcoming opinions from diverse backgrounds.
- Caring deeply about everyone on the team.
- Showing gratitude and appreciation.
- Demonstrating a desire to learn and grow.
Great leaders speak the reality clearly, follow the science, find the way forward, and show us how we will get there together*.
How do you want to lead in this moment?
*adapted from Dr. Vivek H. Murphy, 19th Surgeon General of the United States