Four Leadership Tips for Moving Ahead of COVID

Leaders, you have no idea how IMPORTANT you are now!

You represent hope, clarity, vision, and direction. Do not dismiss this responsibility!

Stay focused on bringing your teams through this pandemic and mollifying the impacts it’s had on your business, their growth, and their lives. Despite everything, there is still work to be done, right? Now, perhaps more than ever, they need YOU to guide them so they achieve results and strengthen the faith your clients/customers have in your company’s partnership with them.

Last week, I provided business development tips that you and your teams could use to keep things moving forward. This week, I am offering four leadership tips that will help you move THEM forward!

Know What Matters Most and Communicate It
It is mission-critical to present your strategy for COVID-recovery. Be guilty of repeating yourself so that it is ingrained in your direct reports. Your team will embrace it as a raft that leads to the far shore of business equilibrium. Hint: you don’t have to have it perfect. You just need to articulate it from the objective evidence you have. It is likely to change over time. Fine! Just communicate the changes, the reasons for them, and get buy-in from your team so they bring the strategy to life.

Remain Optimistic/Believe in your Team
There is no substitute for optimism; it drives followership. Acknowledge your team and keep them optimistic, too. You accomplish this by understanding what they’re dealing with. You don’t have to fix it, you just need to demonstrate you understand the challenges. That being said, don’t let them wallow in them. It’s your job to pick them up and get them moving in the right direction. Optimism is a positive tool for making that happen.

Be Innovative
It’s not “business as usual” out there, is it? No, it’s not. So, now is the time to be innovative, creative, and bold. Brainstorm ideas with your team and create ways to implement the ones that resonate the most with them. Surprise your clients with new ideas that look beyond the current situation so that you can further the long-term partnership your company has with them.

Invest in your Team
This is the time to invest in the development of your “A” Players. And I don’t just mean financially, which could be tough right now. But invest time in them! Reinforce the qualities you expect with your leaders. Communicate directly with them often, offering acknowledgment and providing guidance for “what’s next.” This will forge a culture of growth and trust with your core players…those who represent your future success. Then, when you are able to schedule leadership development training for them, they will know they are considered top performers and will embrace any investment that moves their career forward.

Your teams are facing a lot of challenges and need leadership right now. That’s YOUR challenge. Are you up for it?