Even the leaders of top companies didn’t prepare for the possibility of a pandemic. No one expected a crisis of this gravity to happen. Even if you believe that you already learned everything there is to know about leadership, the pandemic probably challenged your views. Due to the failure of leadership, some companies ended up filing for bankruptcy. Although the pandemic worsened the situation, poor leadership qualities didn’t help. If you want to lead your company to success during this trying time, these are the qualities you need to have.
Creative
You can’t do things as usual, given the changes in circumstances. You don’t have the same number of customers. You also don’t have to operate as usual. If you can’t adapt to changes, the business will most likely fail. Since working from home is now becoming the norm, you should find a way to achieve the goals even if everyone has to work from home.
Another way to show creativity is by looking for alternatives to the office’s usual activities. If you can’t have regular team-building sessions, you can look for a virtual version. You can still reach the same goals, but you keep the employees safe. Besides, when things get better, you can pursue all the plans you decided to postpone. For instance, you can partner with https://www.wearetricycle.co.uk if a funfair is worth doing. It’s not possible to have one now, but you can pursue it later.
Empathetic
Another value you need to possess is empathy. You might be doing well right now, given your financial resources. You also receive help from other people and taking care of your family. Not all your employees enjoy the same luxury. Some of them have to keep working while also taking care of their children as single parents. Others have to tend to their ailing parents due to the virus. You need to be empathetic and try to understand these situations. If an employee requests for delayed submission of tasks, you have to be considerate. If you were in their shoes, you would probably have a hard time too. Being an empathetic leader doesn’t take away anything from you.
Optimistic
When everything looks bleak, it’s easy to lose hope. Your sales aren’t doing well. You also don’t see any change soon. Your employees are also losing hope. Despite these situations, you have to stay positive. Hope should start from the top. If you don’t seem optimistic, you can’t expect the rest to feel that way.
Honest
Despite being optimistic, you also have to be honest. If your business isn’t doing well and you intend to retrench employees, you should let them know. Don’t hide the truth from them. Give your employees enough time to look for a new job. You should also be transparent about the situation of your business, and why you made such a decision. It’s not easy, but it’s better than leaving your employees in the dark.
With these qualities, you can navigate the business well and probably survive this challenge.