Rediscovering self and leadership in face of unprecedented crisis! — My Reflections
By: Ashish Saxena
Tags: Self-awareness, Team Building, Customer Success, Reflections, Leadership

As I reflect about year 2020 and current pandemic crisis on a cold Michigan winter afternoon looking outside window at the trees without leave waiting for spring to come in few months again but there is snow awaited soon to make ground look snow-white and for holiday celebration to begin. As we put the curtain for this year, many things have changed since the beginning of the year and world has changed forever and the new normal is in front of all of us whether in professional or personal lives.

I have thought penning down few thoughts as we traverse through the journey of last year and rediscovered self and leadership in the face of this unprecedented crisis. My attempt is not to create leadership framework or jargon driven messages but my own learning and self-discovery in last few months.

1. Trust is new Currency

As we enter into new VUCA world of virtual interactions, Trust plays such an important role in our both professional and personal interactions. Our SAY-DO ratio defines us an individual, team and organization and our team and customers measures us on these parameters more than ever against technical skills and capabilities. Building trust in a virtual world is not easy but it can be lost in few minutes based on both verbal and non-verbal actions. I discovered through my own learning in the past and current crisis, walking the talk and ensuring we follow through on our actions is one of the best ways to build trust across the oceans or video streams.

2. Team work creates multiplier effects

While importance of team work has been highlighted in every leadership course or business school teaching. A crisis like this year has underscored its importance many fold. When no one knows really well, how to react to crisis, collective thinking and team work and covering each other’s back makes it a huge difference in outcome and performance. It reminds me of a famous proverb “If you want to go fast go alone, If you want to go far go together”. My own self-discovery is that teams who came together and who looked at collective success, created multiplier effects In terms of performance and outcomes and seen better results despite challenging times and also less stressful moments.

3. Over and Authentic communication creates lasting impact

Authentic and over communication creates lasting impact to our customers and teams. As crisis hit us at the beginning of the year, daily communication and coming together helps us think through about the crisis and possible ways to react to it at the same time. Keeping every stakeholder informed on key actions help they suggest ways to improve and be the part of journey. There is no such thing as “over communication” in the crisis and it help us to bind together. I felt that team and customers were comfortable with periodic daily and weekly communications on both challenges and success. Our inflow of video calls and various other communication methods helped us to come closer across the continents and be together.

4. Focus-Focus-Focus

One of the important discovery for me is that when you are hit by crisis, remaining focused is key to remain calm and action oriented. When unknowns are high, remaining focused on controllable help us navigate the crisis better and also small successes brings cheer to the team even though we are reeling with many challenges. Small impacts of success through focus can be very relieving in short run and help us think through long term solutions

5. It’s OK to blur professional and personal boundaries for short period

As we dealt with crisis, it was felt that boundaries are blurring between professional and personal and there is an overlap. Since this current crisis is more societal and health driven then financial or economical. It was ok to have short term overlap in these boundaries. Organizations have taken several steps to have medical facilities and work from home flexibilities and timing to ensure both personal and professional responsibilities are taken care of and stress is kept at minimum in attempt to create these boundaries.

6. Empathy, Kindness and Compassion plays an important part

Many articles and leadership courses have been created in this crisis. Empathy, kindness and compassion did play a very important role in leadership and team management. When there is a so much unknown and everyone is working towards managing crisis. These human traits became hallmark of leadership and need for successful navigation of crisis. Leaders who played their part by humanizing the work came across as genuine and they have seen better results. These traits will continue to remain very important as we drive new normal behaviors in daily personal and professional lives

7. There is no alternative to customer and people centricity

Finally, I would say that there is no alternative to customer and people centricity. Every leader has to demonstrate this in both spirit and action and work towards on daily basis. Everyone is looking for support in their day to day task whether to drive strategy or execution. One would be successful by ensuring their teams and customers are successful in their life, career and journey. Creating “friends for life” in both our teams and customers goes long way to help meet our goals and fulfill our dreams.

As we continue to navigate this crisis and welcome 2021 with a new normal, some new leadership rules are being made and many are broken. Human aspects of leadership will continue to make its difference in many years to come.

Wish everyone happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year 2021