At some point we will emerge from quarantine and move into whatever work will look like going forward.
When that time comes, the question is bound to come up, whether it’s in a job interview or a performance review. “Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with adversity, and how did you do it?” Or “How do you deal with uncertainty?” You may even be asked to describe how you managed during the Coronavirus quarantine.
What do you want to be able to say in response to that question?
How would you like to describe yourself? What would you like to be able to say about how you used your time? Your energy? About how you took the opportunity to work in a different way?
This is a unique time in our history, where everything gets to be reset. We have an opportunity to do things differently, and to step into leadership a bit more.
If you’re leading a team, this is one of the most important experiences you’ll have in your career. Your leadership right now is absolutely crucial. You have colleagues who are having good days and some who are having bad days. You have team members who are freaking out. And others who are grace under pressure, digging in and getting things done. You have people who want to talk about the situation, and others who want to avoid it completely. Managing through these differences and maintaining productivity is a real challenge.
Every challenge gives us opportunities to develop muscle that we didn’t have before. And right now you’re feeling the pressure to build those muscles fast.
If one of your challenges before had to do with holding people accountable, now doing that remotely is even more difficult. So how are you digging in and expanding your skills to do that?
If speaking up with your peers was a challenge, that may be even more difficult now in online meetings and conference calls. So how can you take advantage of the new way of working to be more vocal or more present?
If you lingered over decisions, now there’s even more pressure to make rapid decisions with limited information. How are you managing that?
How you’re able to step into these challenges will say a lot about who you become as a leader.
Our natural response in a new situation is to freeze or flee from it. We run to the familiar – to our comfort zones. We zone out – whether that’s scrolling through social media, or the news, or mindless television. If instead you can lean into the challenge and explore new ways of working, you’ll set yourself up for what comes next. Then, when you’re asked about leading a team through a time of uncertainty, you’ll have concrete examples to draw on.
For more ideas about how to take up leadership right now, check out my new webinar: “Leading Your Team Through Uncertain Times.” . In it, I walk you through the exact strategies my clients are using right now to:
- Build leadership muscle
- Keep their teams productive and committed
- Show up with confidence, and
- Get results that will move their careers forward.
Thinking of you,
