Led by Sarah Battey of All About Talent, Andrew Notter of Anderson Wise and Donald Venkatapen of Wagener & Associés, the lively online workshop with a number of separate breakout sessions allowed participants to reflect on their experiences in the past few months and discuss their perceptions of how leaders have dealt with the challenges associated with this unprecedented situation.
“Check-in on, don’t check-up on”
A live poll showed that at least amongst the participants of this event, over 80% were happy with the decisions taken by leaders around them. Those leaders who are stepping up to the challenge tend to be those who can adapt to managing a workforce remotely and maintain positive personal relationships despite the distance. A key insight here was that managers need to “check-in” with their employees rather than “check-up” on them--a big difference in terms of trust and support. Successful leaders were also found to genuinely care about the wellbeing of their employees and ensure that their physical & psychological wellbeing was a priority--even before business results.
Throughout the discussions, communication emerged as a key factor in successful crisis leadership--and especially honest communication was valued by the workshop participants--even more so than inspiring or positive messages.
An opportunity for leaders to grow
Participants were invited to consider what leadership skills they could develop, with most reiterating the importance of taking care of others, understanding their particular needs (especially the situation at home and the impact that might have on their ability to work), and in general dialing up compassion and kindness.
All in all, it seems that skills that are often considered “soft” and perhaps even optional, are in this situation becoming the skills that make all the difference between a good and a great leader. And hopefully, not only will more leaders become comfortable using these interpersonal skills, but the skills will stay at the top of the priority list long after covid-19 has passed.