It’s not about you
Being responsible for our teams is hard enough. Helping them through our current crisis makes it even harder. As some companies face mass layoffs, and entire industries are reeling, let’s take a step back and appreciate what we have and pass along some positivity to our teams. And, it’s an excellent time for us to pass along some positivity to our teams.
We know today is not a good day to focus on short term productivity gains, but instead to allow one another room to be human — to acknowledge we are all challenged as we face the unknown. Some of us may want to ignore the world and focus on our work — gaining or maintaining a sense of control. Some of us may find our attention and energy taxed as we try to keep up with what is going on in the world. And, some of us may find it challenging to do either.
To thine own self be true
Several years ago, Fred Luthans and Bruce Avolio wrote about the use of positivity during trying times — forboding and apropos for today. The result of their work brought about the concept of authentic leadership — a style of leadership that requires us to be true to ourselves through an ethical and moralistic lens. Authentic leadership asks of us to be “genuine, reliable, trustworthy, real, and veritable.”
When we talk with our teams, we may be tempted to project a persona that conveys that everything is okay, and we have everything under control. The truth is, none of us do. And, to project a false image of ourselves would be disingenuous at best.
If we are uncertain about what is going on, we can be both positive and genuine without parading false hope — or overly negative while stoking fears. Our teams need us to be real with them, which requires us to be real with ourselves.
A genuine and transparent lens
With everything in such a turbulent state, let’s focus on the things that we can control. And, let’s share our authentic and honest selves with our teams. Here are some thoughts that we can share that help us remain transparent:
- This period is not routine and should not be something we use to judge our capabilities — especially as suddenly–remote employees;
- We are going to work together to take care of one another;
- We may need to rely on one another for social and emotional support — to give space for one another to take care of our lives;
- As with most days, but now more than ever, it isn’t about you or me — it’s about us.
I have hope that we will see the other side of Covid-19, even though I am not sure what that future looks like. It will inevitably change the ways we approach life and create a new normal. But, if we stick together and help one another, we will come out of it as better families, friends, co-workers, and humans.
I appreciate you and your participation in helping all of us get through this together.
