Leading when it’s hard

Hello All,

Well, I hate to tell you this, but the quarantine 15 is real! And it doesn’t help when you have a spouse who loves to cook! Bob has pulled out every one of his favorite recipes because he is converting our handwritten recipes to a spreadsheet full of them! (I swear that Bob has a spreadsheet for everything!) He will find a recipe that we haven’t cooked in a while (mostly because we are perpetually dieting) and then has to make it. So today is “VERY peanut butter cookies” day. I am praying that my quarantine 15 at least stays at 15!

It has been an interesting time to watch the different leadership styles that have been demonstrated locally, state and nation wide, and globally during this pandemic. And I don’t mean just our elected officials, but also leaders in all of the sectors of our lives (business, religious, nonprofits, etc.) So many contrasting leadership styles – communication methodologies – deployed strategies.  This will provide quite an interesting post-pandemic study!

I don’t typically recommend reading material, but I am changing that today. I bring this up because I just finished devouring the special issue of The Harvard Business Review “How to LEAD in a Time of CRISIS”. I will be the first to admit that I sometimes flip through the HBR, reading an article or two. This issue is exceptional. For all of you who lead (and that is literally each of you, because you don’t have to have a leader “title” to lead!), then I would highly recommend you pick up this issue. The editors of HBR actually abandoned their planned issue to provide the best wisdom they could find about leading through a crisis. They have brought forward the best advice and practices from the 9/11 attacks, the fiscal crash of 2008, Hurricane Sandy and other events. They share stories from multiple industries, including healthcare. They recognize that the best leaders “do more than keep their organizations going…..They provide a source of steadiness and direction that brings out the best in their people”.

I don’t think the concepts that are shared are earthshattering – but they all bear repeating and embracing. The importance of leader visibility is critical. Paul Argenti, author of the article “Crisis Communication: Lessons from 9/11”, states that “In periods of upheaval, workers want concrete evidence that top management views their distress as one of the company’s key concerns”. Being visible, answering questions honestly (even if the answer is “I don’t know yet”), actively listening, being empathetic, all become essential to negotiating a crisis. And I love the quote from Henry Paulson, the CEO of Goldman Sachs – “Our assets will always be our people, capital, and reputation, with our people being the most important of the three.”

“Compassion heals.” Those simple two words are included in the header of the article “Leading in Times of Trauma”. The importance of organizational compassion is discussed. Not just because of the humanness of compassion, it also lessens suffering, helps people recover, and improves/strengthens relationships with colleagues…..and the company.  

Plans to handle the crisis and past the crisis are critical. But having a plan is not enough, it must be communicated clearly, openly and honestly. Employees can handle the bad news if they know the “what” and the “why” behind it. This also helps set priorities and next steps. It doesn’t matter that the next steps may only encompass the next few months based on the unknown. It matters that there is a path forward!

I could go on about this issue. It is probably one of the best leadership primers I have read in quite some time. It is worth reading.

Okay, let me end on a more relaxing note. I have found another new favorite website! California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium livestreams several videocams each day – and I especially love three of them! The “Jelly Cam” livestreams jellyfish bobbing and weaving to a very soothing soundtrack from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PACIFIC standard time (PST – just add 3 hours to convert to our Eastern standard time). I swear, the “jellies” combined with that spa-like soundtrack are hypnotizing! The “Open Sea Cam” is equally as beautiful and runs from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PST. And my favorite – you can watch them feed the penguins at 3:00 p.m. PST Monday through Friday! I think I may have found a new vacation spot for Bob and me to check out!

Thank you for letting me prattle on! And thank you for leading others during this strange and unusual time. It is hard. Know that you make a difference! YOU ROCK!

Phyl