Leading in a Pandemic
Our most precious resource - our people - are better with leaders who think clearly, stay true to our values, create safe spaces to laugh and cry, and bring a sense of stability during a season of volatility.
As I reflect on the last 18 months, I remember the moment I read the news that the organization I serve fell into a business category that would be forced to shut its doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We planned a two-week shutdown in March 2020 that turned into a seven-month shutdown and a year of rebuilding. It’s not the first crisis I’ve worked through in my career and it’s not even the worst. And yet, it has taken a higher toll than any other.
My family recently watched the Hunger Games series and I saw some parallels to leading in a pandemic. Our environment is constantly changing, we have no game plan, and since we have no idea what the next moment will bring, we barely have enough tools to survive each day. May the odds be ever in our favor.
When I reflect on how I have shown up as a leader in this environment, I can identify moments that have gone well, and a whole lot that have gone wrong. I have long believed mistakes are one of our greatest teachers, if we take the time to process them, learn the lesson, and avoid making the same mistake twice. Based on my own mistakes, here are a few things I’ve learned over the last year-and-a-half.
Mistake #1: Work Harder
Research has shown over the last decade that leaders perform better in every way with proper health, rest, restoration, and time away from work. I’m not sure why I believed this wouldn’t be true while in long-term crisis mode, but I had abandoned this belief early in the pandemic. I convinced myself more hours would help the company. Extra projects would help us best serve our staff and members. Spinning up a new website in record-breaking time would make our organization stronger than the pandemic. Not taking a day to breathe and refuel my spirit, mind, and body would help the team I serve feel more supported. It turns out, the research was not wrong and that didn’t change during a pandemic. While in crisis mode, the practices that create a strong leader are more important than ever. Our most precious resource - our people - are better with leaders who think clearly, stay true to our values, create safe spaces to laugh and cry, and bring a sense of stability during a season of volatility.
Mistake #2: We’re in it together
Yes, we’re all in a global pandemic together. We all watched the murder of George Floyd. We all saw the Capitol under attack. While we’ve witnessed many shared national and global events, no two individuals have experienced these in the same way. Each of us have a unique and personal story about the impact of the pandemic, racism, and politics in our lives. Assuming anyone is feeling the same way we are feeling or experiencing the same thing we are experiencing is a mistake. What we can do as leaders and for each other is hold space for our people to be human and share their personal experience to broaden our own perspective.
Mistake #3: Give people space
Early in the pandemic, I just needed to make it through each day. I was in pure survival mode trying to serve the organization, serve the team I lead, serve my new remote learners, and try to find which store had the largest stock of toilet paper each week. I assumed others were drowning in life like me and needed space to catch their breath. The thing about drowning is that we need others to help us survive, it’s nearly impossible to save ourselves. About a year into isolation, quarantine, and a mostly virtual world, I realized many people welcome an intrusion. Put on your mask and show up at your coworker’s doorstep with lunch. Schedule those virtual coffees with colleagues you used to see in the office. Mail a notecard to a peer, friend, or loved one every week.
One of the highlights of being home more often for me is dedicating time to read. One of my favorite authors, Glennon Doyle, tells us we can do hard things, and I believe her. This season is hard and our experiences are unique, but our humanity and vulnerability will bring us out of this stronger and wiser than before.
Acknowledgment
This post is dedicated to every colleague I have been blessed to serve alongside during my 14 years at the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, especially those who locked arms and served with your whole heart during the pandemic. I am forever in your debt. This message is for all of you:
Being human and vulnerable is hard for me, and yet, it's the thing I love most about our Y. We show up for each other. We serve with relentless passion. We give everything we have. Without question, our Y's greatest asset is YOU. Our people. You bring our mission to life every day, you serve each other, and you serve our community. I challenge you to lean on each other more than you are comfortable. I challenge you to bring your whole self to work. I challenge you to find ways to not survive, but thrive, throughout this chapter in our Y's history and throughout your entire Y career.
