By now, it is evident
that COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of our lives and drastically altered
the way we live. The world has been permanently transformed in ways we could
never have imagined before. Everything has changed -- how we work, our
behavior, social distancing, how we shop, travel and so much more. Suddenly,
life has gone from live and in-person to 'virtually' living online. Our lives
have been changed forever. This means it is inevitable that our leadership also
has to change.
"Crisis creates
corrections, adjustments, and self-evaluation". So inevitably, we are spending a lot of time
talking about how to adjust our behavior and lifestyle to adapt. But you rarely
hear anyone talk about how we should adjust and evaluate our leadership to stay
effective and relevant moving forward.
I believe this is one
of the most important things we need to discuss right now. The quality of our
leadership will directly affect how we move into the future. And right now, the
future is very uncertain-which makes it more critical than ever to have
influential leaders.
The reality is that leadership,
post-COVID-19, needs to be different. It will no longer be about title
and power...leaders must be influential that individuals people are willing to
follow.
This is why I want to
go through the ABC's of leadership post-COVID-19:
A.
Leaders will need to be more Accessible, Adaptable, and Authentic.
Accessible: Leaders will no longer be able to hide in
their luxury office or home estate and control things from afar while they
command people to do what they want. They need to get in the trenches with
their team, to be closer to their group and be more available when needed.
Authentic: Authentic leaders have the advantage. People
want to follow those who are genuinely influential and authentic to their core
values.
Adaptable: Leaders post Covid-19 must be flexible. Team
members have to be made part of the vision, and not just seen as order takers.
You can't just put
people in a box literally or figuratively....the work environment has changed
totally and will continue to evolve.
B. Leaders will need to be BOLD.
Bold as in brave, obedient, leadership ability, and different. What do
I mean by this?
Brave: Brave doesn't mean that you have no fear. It
means being courageous by going forward despite their fear and letting fate and
faith take over.
Obedient: I learned a long time ago the value of being
connected to the creator or higher power. This allows you to silence the noise
around you so you can listen to the voice within you.
Leadership: True leadership ability means being decisive
and having the ability and strength to make tough decisions quickly.
Different: Real leaders don't feel they always have to
follow the crowd. They are creative, forward thinkers who aren't afraid to take
risks and do things differently than everybody else.
C. Compassion, Communication,
and Commitment:
Compassion: Future leaders need and want to be closer to
their teams. They must show empathy, sympathy, and express how much they care
about the welfare and well-being of their team members as individuals.
Communication: Communication needs to be intentional,
purposeful, and precise-- not just by text or e-mail. Leaders want to get to
know their team members and frequently connect....not just occasionally or when
they need something done.
Commitment: Employees need to know you are committed to
being with them through thick and thin for the long haul. Leaders are all in.
No matter how big or small the challenge, they consistently support their team.
This is what effective
leadership will look like post-COVID-19. How will you adapt your style, and are
you ready? Do you have a WYSECOACH
behind your DREAM?
Farshad Asl www.farshadasl.com
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