Today's leaders must be able to engage their teams in a digital environment.
Three years ago today, then prime minister Boris Johnson announced the first nationwide lockdown in the U.K., with the aim of curbing the outbreak of Covid-19. Leaders whose lives had previously been defined by the 7am train, takeaway cappuccinos and water cooler chats suddenly found themselves plunged into the world of hybrid working, home schooling and Zoom meetings. For many, this period of upheaval came with both pros and cons.
On the one hand, leaders were suddenly handed freedom and flexibility while being simultaneously released from the arduousness of the morning commute. On the other, they battled loneliness and spent increasingly long hours chained to their laptops as work life blurred into home life, with delivery of the odd science lesson thrown in along the way.
Overall, the pandemic is an era that most leaders will be glad to have left behind. But what important leadership lessons from that time can we still apply today?
1. Use digital communication to engage
“One of the biggest challenges for leaders in the pandemic was how to effectively communicate with, and engage, their teams in a remote work environment,” says René Rodriguez, a TEDx and keynote speaker, leadership advisor and author of Amplify Your Influence: Transform How You Communicate and Lead. “Leaders who prioritized meaningful work and human connection, and communicated these priorities effectively to their teams, were more successful.”
Key to success, argues Rodriguez, was the adoption of virtual meetings, online team-building activities and regular check-ins with colleagues. He believes that leaders who mastered the skill of using facial expressions and non-verbal cues were “able to foster a sense of camaraderie and collaboration, despite the physical distance between team members”. Going forward, this is an important takeaway for leaders who must be able to succeed in a remote work environment.
2. Understand the value of company culture
“Business leaders have learned that a company’s culture is their competitive and sustainable advantage,” says Daniel Strode, global director of culture and strategy at bank Santander and author of The Culture Advantage.
Strode believes that the pressures of the pandemic meant that businesses could no longer rely simply on savvy business models since these “went out of the window overnight”. Instead, they needed to have a culture that embraced change and technological change, in particular.
3. Know when to ask questions
“The pandemic highlighted the value of problem-solving skills for leaders,” suggests Arnaud Chevallier, a professor at IMD Business School in Switzerland and co-author of Solvable: A Simple Solution to Complex Problems. In particular, it reminded leaders that a “‘one-size-fits-all” way of operating is dangerous.
“The pandemic helped executives to remember that every so often a situation occurs for which their tried-and-true way of doing business can be suboptimal, or downright counterproductive,” notes Chevallier. “Getting their teams to ask insightful questions has found a renewed value.”
Chevallier believes that teams should adapt their problem-solving approach to the situation, identifying which challenges call for a “deep dive”— in the form of a skilful framing, an exhaustive exploration of alternatives, and a formal decision process —and which are better served with a “shoot-from-the-hip”, business-as-usual approach.
The ability to adapt one’s problem-solving approach, like other higher-order skills, is best developed through practice, according to Chevallier. “Naturally, the best time to practice is when the stakes are low, so that organizations can deploy it for dealing with whichever curve ball comes their way next.”
4. Invest in workplace wellbeing
“During the pandemic, remote workers faced new stressors, such as feelings of isolation, an unbalanced work-life, and continual pressure to prove their productivity,” says Dr Adam Greenfield, a doctor of chiropractic, workplace wellbeing expert and co-founder of training provider WorkLifeWell.
He adds: “It quickly became clear that companies had a responsibility for the wellbeing of their employees beyond the office environment, and many recognized that they needed to provide support, not only in terms of work-related tasks but also in terms of overall health and wellbeing.”
According to Greenfield, many leaders during the pandemic realized that they needed to keep communication lines open and address the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of their employees if they wanted to maintain a healthy and productive workforce. This involved offering flexible work schedules that enabled employees to balance their work and personal lives, as well as virtual wellbeing and employee assistance programs. He says: “Leaders recognized that employees needed more support and flexibility during those challenging times and many continue to see the benefits of a wellbeing strategy today.”
5. Be a good storyteller
“The human brain is a product of evolution characterized by two critical features: first, it is a multisensory organ and second, it is strongly attuned to social life,” says Kai-Markus Mueller, a neuroscientist and co-author of The Invisible Game: The Secrets and the Science of Winning Minds and Winning Deals. In a remote environment, however, both these elements are heavily muffled – which is why leaders must resort to other strategies to engage their teams’ brains. Storytelling is one such strategy, according to Mueller, because it keeps attention high and creates emotional bonding.
6. Earn the trust of your team
“The foundation stone of every successful organization is trust,” says James Burstall, CEO of media group Arganon and author of The Flexible Method: Prepare to Prosper in the Next Global Crisis.
“Trust means people,” he continues. “Without a strong and flexible team, who trust that the leadership is acting with integrity, fairness and transparency – and most importantly in their best interests – a business will struggle to survive, let alone thrive, in a crisis.”
Burstall argues that leaders need to double down on their values during challenging times. “A consistent, flexible and values-led leadership approach will attract and retain talent, drive new business and enhance reputation,” he says. “Trust is non-negotiable in today’s uncertain world.”
