Leaders and The Virtual Shift of 2020
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Leadership as we know it was put to the ultimate test in 2020. With all of the great information out there in books and the internet to help leaders survive, something was missing. What wasn’t out there was how to manage the gut-punch we all received in 2020 due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Add in civil unrest, large numbers of unemployed people, small businesses closing, racial tensions, and a highly contested election it feels like we are living in some sort of alter world. Who would have imagined we’d be dealing with all of this in the same year? Then, to boot, hurricanes and tropical storm season decided to throw in enough storms to blow through the alphabet and cause those who name them to resort to the Greek alphabet. All of this has pushed people entirely to the point of “I don’t know how much more I can take” pretty much every day. To add insult to injury, climate change has made the seasons seem unpredictable and in the midst of it, all companies that have survived thus far still have to function.
Even the most seasoned leader is stretched to the very end of their proverbial rope trying to keep operations going while maintaining safety for themselves, their families, employees, and their client base. With PPE supplies and basic home supplies stretched, the 2nd quarter of 2020 really made it feel like we were never going to get to a level place. Manufacturers ramped up production while dealing with their own supplier and staffing concerns to help consumers make it through and we are still behind in some industries. One has to wonder if it was good leadership skills that helped these companies keep producing what consumers need or simply an overabundance of adrenalin from all of the stress the year has brought.
The point is, in this climate leaders must make a significant shift from the way they previously led. Many companies have allowed their teams to work remotely since at least March with no sure date in sight for employees to return to offices. Others have had to find creative ways for employees to co-exist on assembly lines and in retail establishments in the safest manner possible. The culture of today's organizations has evolved into something we barely recognize. With that evolution, leaders must remember they too have to change. Those who expected staff to be in the office constantly watched over have had to…
