Old limitations shattered
I am writing this on May 1, 2020. Only a few months ago, we were used to working with some people resisting innovative ideas, saying they couldn’t be done. Well, look at us now! Faculty members who said they couldn’t teach their classes online are doing it. Managers who would not allow employees to work from home now have no choice and it’s working well for the most part.
Is it ideal? Of course not. Students, faculty, employees, and managers are suffering. Returning back to campus will be wonderful and I am in no way suggesting that instruction should continue online for all classes forever. I just want to point out how crisis pushed people far outside their comfort zone and there now we can observe undeniable benefits. Let’s build upon that by reflecting on lessons learned and planning for the future.
Improvement and innovation
Currently, you may be frustrated by what doesn’t work well and by simple tasks taking longer when you don’t have access to your team members. I understand and I am not dismissing the issues you are facing temporarily. But I am asking you to shift your attention away from what frustrates you and observe which old limiting beliefs have been shattered. What have you discovered since the stay-at-home order?
What can you do differently and more efficiently in the future? What old practices have proven to be outdated and unnecessary? I also strongly encourage you to look at how your individual team members have handled this crisis. Some may have been unreliable, and others may have impressed you. Some people may have revealed strengths and talents you didn’t even know they had. Take everything you are learning now into consideration when evaluating how to reduce costs. Budget cuts have come (or are coming) so you need to be prepared to continue offering the same level of service with fewer resources.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is an under-rated element of leadership. What did you learn about yourself through this crisis? What are the implications? What will you do differently from now on?
For example, many of my clients discovered they had compassion and understanding for others but were too hard on themselves. They worked diligently trying to make perfect decisions when not enough information was available. The idea of making uninformed choices and having regrets in the future was terrifying. Having to forgive themselves if they made mistakes was not acceptable to them, even though they would have no problem forgiving others, as long as they had done their best. They needed to learn that doing their best is literally the best they could do, and that’s enough! The key insight was understanding that their level of self-judgment could single handedly dramatically increase or decrease their stress and anxiety.
How do you want to grow?
I encourage you to journal daily and reflect on what you wish to transform within yourself. If you have a family, perhaps you discovered how wonderful it is to have more quality time with them. Let this crisis motivate you to bring more balance into your life, manage your time exceptionally well, and make time for things that are important to you outside of work. Or maybe you live alone and you realized that you give too much of your life to your career and as soon as the stay-at-home order is lifted, you will start taking some steps to enrich your personal life and your social life.
This COVID-19 pandemic may have highlighted a tendency to worry too much, or to be too vulnerable to the media’s fear-inducing stories, or maybe to feel under-valued at work if you fear losing your job, all the while not having valid reasons to think you’re going to be laid off.
You may have uncovered some control issues when you had difficulty trusting employees to work from home as hard as they do in the office. You may have felt great discomfort having to lead when so much is unknown, and nobody can answer the questions you have on your mind. Or maybe you felt less visible and less influential on the leadership team by not being the loudest voice on zoom.
Please reflect on your fears and on what causes you discomfort because these are your greatest opportunities for growth.
Your leadership
Write down what kind of leader you want to be. For example, you may want to consistently be someone who focuses on solutions more than problems, who is open-minded and not afraid of change, who empowers employees to thrive, who is confident, who has a positive outlook for the future, who is strategic, who is influential, who has charisma, and who knows how to develop quality professional relationships.
For each goal you set, write down exactly what you are going to do and how you will measure success. You will need a plan with clearly identified behaviors and habits. What matters is not what we know we “should” do but what we actually do consistently. You will need to be honest with yourself and keep yourself accountable. Or better yet, let’s work together one-on-one and I’ll take care of the strategies and accountability. Click here to schedule a complimentary call with me and we’ll discuss how I can help you blossom as an influential and effective leader.
About the author: Dr. Audrey Reille has empowered thousands of professionals through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, speaking engagements, and online courses. Audrey is the go-to coach for leaders in higher education administration. She empowers them to thrive by reducing stress, optimizing strategies, improving professional relationships, and developing a strong and empowered mindset.