APAC Vice President at Center for Creative Leadership, offering cutting-edge leadership solutions.
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Counting down and stepping into a new year, most of us felt a big sense of relief to leave behind the many hardships faced in 2020. Now, well into 2021, the realization that some of the new challenges we are facing are even bigger than those we left behind has set in.
Here in Singapore, as one of the first countries exposed to Covid-19, the first cases started to appear around one year ago. The frenzy of those early weeks of the pandemic is still fresh in my mind. The early office protocols all seem surreal now — from isolation rooms and building evacuation for any suspected case to the close monitoring of the whereabouts of all our team members in the region to prevent anyone from get stuck between countries and end up at risk as borders started to close. Adrenaline levels were certainly at their peak in those initial weeks and months, especially for leaders making many swift decisions to respond to the crisis. One year on, we continue to face the significant negative impact from Covid-19 across the world, yet the adrenaline rush that fuelled leaders in the initial period wore off many months ago and Covid-19 realities have now just become part of everyday life. How leaders will face the higher expectations and next set of challenges coming up matters now more than ever for businesses, nations and the world in order to turn the corner and create a better future.
So what kind of leadership do we need as we move into year two?
Drawing from some of the highlights from our most recent research with 73 C-suite leaders across the Asia Pacific area, as well as my observations working with leaders over the last few months, here are three priorities to help leaders successfully take on year two.
Endurance
The phrases "You’re on mute," "Covid fatigue" and "burnout" are here to stay. The first priority for leaders is to keep themselves sane by recharging their energy levels with the essential practices that work for them. These can include exercise, meditation, practicing gratitude, social pursuits and emotional savoring, to name a few. Entering year two, and relying less on any adrenaline rush, requires even more regularity and discipline in essential practices to maintain personal endurance. Trying out some new practices, enlisting an accountability partner and journaling on what is and is not working are additional techniques leaders will need to beef up whatever they have in place already.
Leaders must also have both systemic support structures and quick and easy ways to re-energize their people, including dynamic, bite-size interventions to help people "burn bright" and not burn out. One example of a dynamic, bite-size intervention is "time confetti," a term used to describe those tiny pockets of free time between 5 and 15 minutes that often get filled with mindlessly checking email, texting and scrolling through feeds. Especially in the work-from-home environment, time confetti can go a long way to maintain and refill energy reserves. A short walk, a few breathing exercises, a five-minute meditation and listening to a great song are just a few ways to practice redeeming time confetti.
Moving into year two, leaders will need to make an even bigger investment in both systematic support structures and quick and dynamic approaches to maintain well-being for themselves and their people.
Authenticity
While the concept of authentic leadership isn't new, it has grown in importance in the last year. The ongoing insecurity caused by the pandemic, as people worry about their health and their livelihoods, has led to decreased confidence and trust among the wider population. Leaders must be their most authentic selves and make honesty and transparency the foundation of their workplaces.
Authenticity leads to trust, and looking-ahead leaders must boost both. I’ve seen a number of organizations where trust has gone up over the course of the pandemic, making a big, positive difference for the success of the organization. Leaders who already had a lot of trust within their teams were best positioned to increase that trust during the first year of the crisis. As we move into year two, continuing to openly demonstrate trust in employees amid work-from-home and flexible work arrangements will go a long way. Leaders will now also need to have a meaningful end in mind that connects to collective purpose in order to help everyone deal with much of the uncertainty that still lies ahead. One of the Asia-Pacific managing directors we interviewed said, “I see authenticity as a prequalification for leading people to an unknown destination.”
Realistic Optimism
Remaining optimistic while facing very difficult realities is perhaps the most important way that leaders must continue to step up. Making sure not to overlook the many collective achievements coming out of the crisis is important, which at a global level includes the fastest vaccine developed in human history. Amazing examples of collective resourcefulness and generosity within organizations and across communities to overcome major obstacles and take care of each other must continuously be celebrated by leaders at all levels.
At the same time, acknowledging and facing the significant setbacks and suffering for many businesses, communities and especially those most vulnerable is equally important. Facing that suffering can be painful and daunting. Choosing how much and when to focus on the harsh realities and "bad news" is an important balancing act that leaders need to get even better at this year. Viktor Frankl, the Austrian philosopher who maintained optimism in even the most difficult circumstances during the Holocaust, said, “It is not freedom from conditions, but it is freedom to take a stand toward the conditions.”
As we move into year two, burning bright will require leaders who can consistently endure the darkness, find the light and use authenticity and realistic optimism to help others see it.
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