By Tessa Greenspan
Today’s leaders face challenges old and new, but compassion, integrity, good listening skills and civility never go out of style.
At my previous company, my leadership style was to be firm and fair with kindness, treating everyone equally in every department, involving employees and asking for input. That still works.
One of the best quotes about leadership I have heard is from Warren Buffett, who said, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” A leader needs time to think, strategize and make smart, informed, thoughtful decisions.
For leaders who may have a remote workforce or who have to pivot in light of new business demands and realities, there are new lessons to be learned in leadership. Here are a few tips I’ve collected from thought leaders and research.
- Place well-being as a top priority. Teachers and staff may be wary of coming back to schools and the office. Compassion and a plan for keeping employees (and customers) safe is No. 1.
- Cross-functional teams replace leaders. Empower employees to connect, collaborate around a project to increase innovation and out-of-the-box solutions, then free them to do their best. Support the team to set direction and implement. Command and control is the old-world model in the digital, international business environment, now increasingly remote.
- Leadership is democratic. Leaders will emerge on teams, regardless of formal titles and recognition. Be invested in their growth and success.
- Good leaders assess their workforce to support skill development. Good leaders use online surveys, virtual suggestion boxes, virtual town halls, provide employee resource group forums and virtual lunches and use one-on-one conversations to keep business culture transparent and informed.
- Good leaders lead with positivity. Bad moods need to be turned off. A comment or look – either in person or virtually – can ruin an employee’s day and productivity. You control the weather and set the pace.
- Lead with curiosity. Ask questions and learn to use “What if? What’s working? What’s not?” to stimulate a vibrant exchange of ideas and solutions. Make it comfortable for people to innovate and engage in learning, not just doing. The best question? “What can I do to help you succeed?”
- Be a good communicator. Share your vision with your team and ask them to develop the project message and strategy concisely. Internal communications with staff and stakeholders are essential for success. Be honest, empathetic, clear and simple.
- Great leaders lead by example. Make your company and employees community champions. It can be volunteering to help with a food pantry, or providing drive-by school supplies for children or teachers. Show that kindness matters and never stops.
- Share employee success stories. Collect stories of teams overcoming the adversity of COVID-19, and praise the amazing resiliency of their stories. Acknowledge the daily sacrifices your employees and their families make, especially for parents working from home with family members to care for.
- Keep on trucking. Effective leaders are able to remain calm and maintain a sense of perspective. According to Gene Klann, author of “Crisis Leadership:Using Military Lessons, Organizational Experiences, and the Power of Influence to Lessen the Impact of Chaos on the People You Lead,” “During a crisis, your goal is to reduce loss and keep things operating as normal as possible.”
Greenspan is a motivational speaker, author and entrepreneur. Her book, “From Outhouse to Penthouse: Life Lessons on Love, Laughter and Leadership,” is available at amazon.com. Her podcast, “Tuesdays with Tessa,” runs at 10 a.m., CT on bogtalkradio.com. She can be contacted at tessa@tessagreenspan.com.
