Leadership, Done Right

 

by Dave Wakeman

I’ve spent most of this year musing on leadership—and how so much of what we’ve learned comes from watching the mistakes people have made. As we head into the end of the year, I want to revisit leadership, but through the lens of doing things the right way. Here are three tips on how to be the leader your teams, organizations and communities can look to for guidance as so many of us continue to work through the pandemic: 

1. Be Consistent. One of the more apparent challenges spurred by the pandemic is how time has blended into itself. Our home life, work responsibilities, leisure activities and everything in between mix together in ways that can be unhealthy and unsustainable. Some of us can’t seem to finish things because we feel like we never have space to think or get away from a problem long enough to get a different perspective. Other people underperform because of the accumulations of stress that we’re all dealing with in ways both big and small. 

One of the few normal activities our son has been able to continue this year is soccer (or football, as the non-Yanks call it). It’s been a boost to my son’s mental health because he gets to hang out with people he’s familiar with and play his favorite sport. And the coaches have been real saviors for my son and his team, driving home the need to be consistent in their efforts, their focus and the way that they approach practice. 

 For me, I find it helpful to be consistent in sitting down at my desk to write, setting my goals, and focusing on doing one or two things a day that I can control. 

2. Communicate Constantly. I don’t have to tell anyone about information overload, with news about COVID and the thousands of pings and dings that distract us from our responsibilities each day. This means that many of us miss the information we need or want. As leaders, we need to spend some time making sure our message gets across and that we’re delivering it consistently, even if we’re repeating the same message. 

Back to my son: His elementary school has been all-virtual since March and it’s been a big adjustment. But the principal of the school has been very consistent about communicating with families about what’s going on and what the kids are dealing with. He’s been scheduling weekly virtual chats and sending out a minimum of two emails a week to keep parents informed about decisions around the learning environment and the possibility of bringing some kids back to campus. He doesn’t always have the chance to share new information with us, but we know he’s going to provide us information no matter what.

3. Be Flexible: I want to combine flexibility and empathy right now because I think they go hand-in-hand. Like I mentioned at the top, we’re overwhelmed by how our lives end up blending together in ways that aren’t always healthy. We’re dealing with uncertainty, more and different stressors, and, probably, more and different responsibilities in our lives. 

People aren’t going to perform the same way. All of us are navigating strong feelings or stress from different events and in unusual ways, and we need to recognize the best thing we can do right now is give people room to process what they’re dealing with and to move through it.  

In turn, leaders must also extend that same grace to themselves. Spend some time recognizing when you need a break and be willing to step back and take it. 

What are the biggest leadership lessons learned you’ve gained this year? Share in the comments below.