We are living through an incredible time in history, a time that will last until at least May 20th.
In addition, many business managers have approached me over the past few weeks asking what they, as leaders, can do to keep their team positive and motivated. In this article, I share my perspective on this.
Moreover, of course I know that we are living in uncertain times and that many people are genuinely afraid for good reason. I know that the coronavirus currently dominates our lives and all societal discussions, and that there are many reasons to be afraid.
Additionally, but understand: fear is normal. It is a normal human reaction when we are physically or emotionally threatened.
Furthermore, there is one thing you cannot do with people's fears: you cannot ignore them. We are emotional beings, and 100% of our decisions are driven by emotion. So do not ignore what people feel.
What also matters is how you deal with fear. Fear can paralyze you and prevent you from taking action, with the result that you create your own reality. It is, of course, much better if fear drives you to take action: success through doing.
That is why previous crises have shown that disruption equals a new opportunity. This is Action – Reaction: whatever happens, there is always a reaction. Hotels are empty, the hospitality industry is at a standstill. Moreover, but did you see what happened in hardware stores? Who had heard of Zoom before the Corona era?
So every action will lead to a reaction: there are environments where business is currently flourishing. For entrepreneurs, new problems can actually act as fuel.
In the past, too, companies have emerged during recessions or depressions that are now enormous: Microsoft started in the recession of 1970. CNN was founded in the recession of 1980.
How can you make the most of it?
Therefore, as a manager, you have two choices: the choice to either fuel panic or to steer towards positive action.
Next, it doesn't matter whether you run a large or a small company, whether you lead a large or a small team, or whether you currently have your entire family at home temporarily and are the leader of your household. Your people are watching you: the way you react, the conversations you have.
Do you also constantly talk about the things that cannot be done right now because of the crisis and uncertainty? Or do you steer the conversation towards what IS possible?
In short, right now the world is looking for leaders to steer our future in a positive direction. Everyone in your industry, in your company, in your community, and in your family is experiencing the same thing: uncertainty, fear, and worry.
So what can you do to act as a leader, both at work and at home?
For example, my advice is to focus on your Circle of Influence (Stephen Covey). This is a topic that I cover in all my leadership training.
After all, your Circle of Influence encompasses those matters that you can directly influence. Your Circle of Concern encompasses all those matters that you consider important, but over which you have little or no control.
When people focus on things they cannot control, they have less time and energy to spend on things they can influence. As a result, their Circle of Influence shrinks.
Furthermore, when people focus on matters they *can* influence, they actually expand their Circle of Influence. However, the Circle of Influence will always be smaller than your Circle of Concern. Therefore, focus your time and energy on those matters that you *can* influence.
7 tips on how you can act as a leader of your team these weeks
Moreover, everyone is watching you: your team, your children, the community you are part of.
Incidentally, it is your task to inspire and be hopeful. To do that, you want to radiate calm, and you focus conversations and behavior on what you CAN do. You focus on the POSITIVE emotions, not the panicked ones.
So, the people around you need three things from you: certainty, clarity, and simplicity.
Subsequently, eventually they need to regain the feeling that everything is under control. Combined with a sense of hope and a positive future.
Therefore, you focus on the things you CAN do. While world events are not under your control, you do have control over how you spend your time within your organization:
However, 1. Take care of your employees. Many of them are forced to stay at home with their children. Stay in regular contact with them.
So do everything you can to help them get through this situation as best you can. Of course, it is not the case that you cannot have difficult conversations with people during these times.
Moreover, conversations that you actually should have had sooner. Have the courage and take the time you have now to have these conversations.
Meanwhile 2. The past few weeks have already been tough for many people. Especially mentally. So it is also important to look at everyone's mental health (in addition to physical health).
Your own, too, of course. Reset your mindset, if necessary. You cannot have a healthy body without a healthy mind. The way you make your mindset sick is by bombarding it with fear and sadness.
Additionally, good mental condition will keep you vital, healthy, and productive. Reorient your mindset towards what you can control: your Circle of Influence. Protect yourself from an overload of information concerning your Circle of Concern. Focus on what is important for you to know.
Moreover, you don't have to listen to news programs all day, you don't have to keep track of all the death tolls in all parts of the world, etc. In 5 minutes a day, you can get all the information you need to know. You don't have to bombard yourself with this 24/7.
Furthermore, 3. Encourage your people to stick to their fixed routines. Stick to your morning routine. Participants in my Time & Life Management training courses know how important a good morning routine is for your effectiveness.
Also, for example, take the time every morning before you go to work to do your physical exercises and read a good book for half an hour (e.g.
That is why Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod; this is about a good morning routine). Only open your email after you have completed your 1 or 2 most important work tasks of the day.
As a result 4. Reinvest time and energy in your team. Prepare and position the organization together for the time when this crisis is over, so that you can make a flying start then. Perhaps this is also a good time to learn to understand each other better.
For example, by organizing team workshops based on the personal profiles of https://www.insightsbenelux.com/ If you want, I can facilitate this for you.
Next, 5. Prepare for your comeback after this Corona crisis. It is spring, so use this period for a business spring cleaning!
Also evaluate and revise your organization's strategy and your goals for 2020/2021. Do this together with your team. Also consider whether you have the right people working in the right places, and whether they are doing the right things.
In short, also check the processes and the operational excellence of your team. Be sure to include customer contact points. Are your invoices customer-oriented?
For example, how easy is it to reach you? How often do you actually speak to your customers? In short: look at the way you work and ask: how can we make this better?
After all, 6. That spring cleaning applies to your surroundings as well.
In addition, the team has every room in the building cleaned, if possible within the applicable restrictions. Is anything broken, do things need to be repaired, do we have sufficient stock, what is no longer needed in that room and can be eliminated?
By the way, give everyone a large box and ask them to dump everything in there that isn't essential for their work. You aren't going to throw it away: you're just storing it out of sight, for now. If you ever need any of that, you know where it is.
So, after about six months, you throw the whole box away without looking at it again. Do this with your digital files as well. Delete everything you are not actively using right now (or put in an archive folder first).
In short, definitely do this at home as well, and take unnecessary items to a thrift store, for example. You won't believe how liberating this decluttering will be.
Hence 7. Also dedicate time to personal growth and development. Personally, I am always focused on this because I believe in lifelong learning. Incidentally, it is the perfect moment to proactively fill your people's brains with positive things that are possible NOW!
Therefore, sharpen your knowledge and skills now, so that you are ready when the moment comes that you can use them again. For example, take those internal product training courses now. Or improve your English (e.g. at www.
So ste.nl). You are also welcome to come see me to improve your practical skills in sales and/or leadership, among other things. If you decide to invest in yourself, your skills, and your future, stick with it! Prioritize yourself; you are worth it.
What do I do myself?
However, even worse, in mid-March my calendar was suddenly wiped clean… Great! Open space in my schedule! I have rescheduled most of my training sessions; a number of sessions did go ahead, and I am conducting them using videoconferencing software.
So I use my time for matters that I know will be of great value to my clients. I am working on innovating my training courses, and I host a few webinars (free of charge) for my existing clients.
Therefore, in the meantime, there was a major project that I hoped to find time for during the summer holidays, and I have brought it forward. It is like an amazingly wonderful opportunity that I believe will have a major positive impact on my ability to help my clients.
In addition, of course, I also practice social distancing. Difficult for me, because I am extroverted. But introverted people love it! They are happy that social distancing is now finally socially acceptable.
I also want to stay healthy by paying attention to the quality of my diet and by exercising 4 times a week (running and cycling; my other sports are currently prohibited).
Moreover, I started taking the national AI course (https://www.ai-cursus.nl/) to better understand what Artificial Intelligence is and means for us.
Furthermore, my house is clean and tidy both inside and out. I put it up for sale right away.
It is up to you
I also ask you to positively influence the people under your leadership.
That is why the world around you is looking to you: your team, and certainly everyone in your family. They all experience the same thing: uncertainty, fear, worries… They look to you to determine how they should behave, think, and act in the future. So, they are counting on you.
Because of this, you can decide who you want to be. A more capable leader, a more capable and loving parent, a more connected friend, a more engaged citizen. You can decide to make this Corona crisis the most positive, defining event of your life.
Then, as Bill Gates recently said: This can be an end or a new beginning. This can be a time of reflection where we can learn from our mistakes, or it can be the start of a cycle in which we have finally learned something.
Even in ten years, you will look back and say either “I’m glad I did it” or “I wish I had done it.” Your future is determined by what you do now.
So stay safe, wash your hands, keep a little distance in the meantime, stay positive, and I'm sure I'll meet you again soon.
Author
After all, Erik van den Akker
[email protected]
06-83238832