Just like how on-field pressure brings the best out of captains across various sports, it is in crisis that the true character of a leader is tested in the corporate world. I am no expert in leadership coaching, and there is enough out there online to satiate your thirst for that – but I thought of sharing how my experience has been so far in leading a business through a crisis as unprecedented as this. If this resonates with some of you, and if you want to add on more personal learnings to this, then I consider this a job well done!
So what have I learnt as a leader so far since Covid invaded our lives? 5 lessons in summary.
1. Taking decisions with imperfect data and unreliable forecasting
For all leaders, effective decision making is almost always contingent on robust data analysis and forecasting the future implications of their decision. But that was when we were living in normal times, which today we aren’t. Since WW2, the world has probably never transformed as much in such a short time as it has over the last few months. And that has meant that leaders no longer have the luxury of perfect data to base their business calls on – much data that is valid today becomes irrelevant tomorrow in times of such crisis, and past data patterns lose significance. But decisions still need to be made, and many that couldn’t have been more critical to the company than ever before. So leaders have been adopting various tactics to overcome this handicap – trusting your instincts, relying on your trusted advisors, peeping at your competitors or always having a Plan B/C ready – whichever be the case, Covid provides a great opportunity to learn to thrive in ambiguity!
2. Balancing the paradoxes:
I have always believed that a versatile leader is the one who balances seemingly contradictory objectives so skillfully that they don’t appear incongruous at all. In times of such crisis, the need for leaders to balance such paradoxes couldn’t have been higher. How do I get growth back and cut costs and preserve cash at the same time? If I do everything my customers want, then my investors may not be happy! How can I keep fire-fighting every day, and still keep an eye on the future for opportunities? How do I keep a cool head, and yet have a strong heart? How do I keep people’s morale high, when I know I may need to take harsh decisions? The paradoxes can differ based on your context – but the ability to artfully navigate through them without swaying to extreme ends of the spectrum is a universal trait of strong leaders especially in times of such crisis!
3. Leading with Compassion, Courage and Calmness
A once in a generation crisis like this can unnerve even the best in the business – so it is only natural for your people to feel anxious, uncertain and scared. The need to engage them with compassion and care, by not only putting their physical health as the top priority, but also recognizing their mental anguish with empathy is paramount for leaders. Courage is an obvious one – pretty much every aspect of the business will need courageous decision making and the ability to steer the ship through this tempest will require great fortitude and endurance for the long haul. This is certainly not the time for the faint-hearted! Finally, a cool mind and a calm demeanor need to go hand in hand with having a strong heart. We are being bombarded by negative news every hour, and there is so much noise out there that it is dangerously easy to fall into a vicious spiral of doom. Great leaders are the ones who declutter their minds, strip to the basics and sieve the information overload to stay razor focused on what truly matters.
4. The power of “I don’t know”
Much is starting to being written about this in the media, and rightly so. Such a great equalizer Covid has been, that no leader or expert anywhere in the world can claim to know how things truly are presently, forget predicting how things will be in the future. Leaders who have not only the humility, but also the courage to acknowledge what they don’t know in front of their people are the ones whose authenticity comforts people. “I don’t know how badly our business will be crippled by Covid, but what I do know is that we are in this together and will fight with all our collective energy to protect what we have so assiduously built over the years” is way more powerful than pretending to assuage people through hollow predictions of a rosy future.
5. As always, it’s ultimately the attitude!
How chained are you by the past that you are unable to free up your mind to realize there is a very different future awaiting you? How flexible are you to think on your feet and ready to embrace whatever gets thrown your way? How tranquil is your spirit to appreciate that stressing over what is not in your control will only hurt you even more? Crisis often makes one wistful – great leaders are those who can channelize that self-reflection into energy so pervasive that it galvanizes the organization into a battle-ready mode! Didn’t someone say that tough times don’t last, but tough people do?
Vinz's World 
Nicely written and well articulated article on the Covid crises. The current Covid crises is so dynamic and can change by the hour. The only thing I feel is that every leader has to stay positive amidst the negativity that is trying to conquer us and the system during these unprecedented times. It is also a great opportunity for leaders to showcase their courage, high-spirit and their ability to respond to number of challenges this crises is going to throw-up. One thing we never have to forget is that this crises is not going to last forever and humanity will find a way out of the crises and that should keep-up the spirit and the morale of the leader going and seeing through these tough times. Tough times never last but tough leaders do!
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