Propel your leadership in a crisis

High fives to all of you for continuing to put one foot forward during one of the greatest economic disruptions in history. Although some of us have returned to the office and children have headed back to school, COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives.   

When the pandemic first began, you and your leadership team likely shifted all attention and resources to understanding and mitigating COVID-19's immediate threat to your business, employees and markets. Though eyes will need to remain on short term contingency planning, leaders must shift their focus on inspiring a shared vision for the future. Sitting in that space with your leadership team and your organization's employees helps to create a shared understanding of what's possible in the future. It creates excitement and engagement towards the organization's goals and aspirations. This is even more applicable if your business was forced to pivot in light of the current economic state of the world.

James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge, define leadership as, “The art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations”.  They also highlight leadership practices that inspire a shared vision:

1. Talking about future trends that influence how work gets done.
2. Describing a compelling image of what the future could be.
3. Appealing to others to share an exciting dream of the future.
4. Showing others how their long term interests can be realized by enlisting in a common vision.
5. Painting a big picture of what you aspire to accomplish.
6. Speaking with genuine conviction about the higher meaning and purpose of the work.      

Employees wish for a new reality and believe that something better is over the horizon. Leverage the enthusiasm to propel your business forward! The responsibility falls to leaders during this time to help their teams envision the new world. Now is the time to create that vision, take action and lead your team towards it.

Your team is craving visionary leadership now more than ever. It is the positive change they need to see in the world.

If you're unsure of how to start, connect with me and I'll support you and your leadership team to envision and take action towards a better future.

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[email protected] 
www.linkedin.com/in/micheledcameron 
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