While some areas of life have gone back to a relative ‘normal’ in our post-pandemic world; others remain changed.
Leadership development is one area that has been affected significantly, as the events of 2020 changed businesses and teams on a scale never seen before.
Now business leaders must ask themselves critical questions:
- How significantly does Covid-19 impact leadership development?
- And how can we expect leadership development to play out on our post-Covid world?
Today, we look at how the pandemic has changed leadership development, and what the future could hold for the development of your leaders, both now and in the future.
The Covid Challenge and Living With Uncertainty
Perhaps the main challenge that leaders are currently contending with is the uncertainty caused by Covid-19.
Uncertainty is the enemy of productivity, and to help your team manage any anxieties they might have about the future, stable leadership is a must.
Mindfulness leader Rich Fernandez suggests avoiding carrying on ‘business as usual’ during uncertain times. In this HBR article, he states, “These experiences are very real and can’t be ignored, denied, or repressed”.
This is most certainly the case in 2020.
At the moment, employees could be fearful for their jobs, for their own and their family’s health, or be uncomfortable in general with everything that is happening currently.
Business change is something that historically, leaders would have to contend with, but the events of this year call for change management like never before.
Developing as a leader in the Covid-age means being entirely comfortable with change – enough so that it puts your team at ease to minimise disruptions and create a stable working environment, whether your employees are in the office or at home.
Remote Connections
Despite the highly effective way that digital communications have enabled businesses to continue to operate, remote business communication has its drawbacks.
Traditionally, some areas of business, including leadership, has relied primarily on face-to-face physical communication. Being a leader is all about creating and building meaningful relationships with your team; something which the buzz and the energy of being in a room are hard to replace.
Some leaders have found the challenge of remote leadership surprisingly hard, as it can be more challenging to connect with others via a screen as opposed to in-person.
But this is something that with practice, can become much easier.
We are still in the relatively early phase of digital leadership, and some leaders still have much to learn. Digital leadership is a capability separate from in-person leadership, which needs to be developed for it to have the same impact.
At Zestfor, we have been delivering virtual leadership training for many years, and we are on hand for leaders who need to improve their digital leadership skills for the post-Covid era. You can click here for more information about our virtual leadership courses.
Redefining Leadership Goals
Some leaders have emerged from the Covid-19 crisis stronger, while others have found it challenging to come to terms with the significant changes.
It’s time to press reset on your leadership skills and focus on what is needed to thrive in our ‘new normal’.
The following are areas of focus to ensure your leadership skills are developing for the post-Covid world –
- Get clear on your ultimate leadership goals – this means revisiting previous goals and adapting them for your post-Covid team. Will you have to focus more on managing change? Do you need to improve your consistency? Or develop your digital skills to provide better remote experiences for your team?
- Remember that remote leadership is different – leaders who try to do everything the same as they always have, but digitally, may encounter problems. As a leader, you will still need to gauge the needs of your team, evaluate risks and make critical decisions – all from afar. Improving your virtual communication skills will be a must.
- Increase your agility – a Forbes Insights and Scrum Alliance survey found that 81% of executives consider agility to be the most important characteristic for a successful business. And with Covid restrictions subject to change, it is more crucial than ever that you can pivot to the changing needs of your business and your sector.
Effective Leadership Coaching Programmes
The leadership challenge created by the pandemic is multifaceted.
Leaders must balance remote working and flexible returning to work schedules, ensuring that all employees feel safe, look at short-term business plans and how to react successfully to current disruptions, as well as balancing longer-term goals too.
It’s a leadership challenge which will define our generation.
The key is to act now to strengthen the leadership skills we know will be essential in the coming months; being comfortable with, and managing, change, being an excellent digital leader and redefining your business and team goals for the post-Covid age.
For more information on leadership challenges and how to manage them, head to our blog where we post regularly on the development topics affecting leadership right now. Additionally, click here to find information on our leadership courses.
Until next time,
Julia
About Zestfor
Zestfor specialises in developing Training programmes and resources scientifically tailored for technical markets – including Pharmaceutical, IT, and Life Sciences.
Our blend of in-classroom, online, and virtual live-stream delivery methods will engage and assure even the most introverted team members from the first meeting – whether face-to-face or virtually. To have a brief chat, call us on 0845 548 0833. Alternatively, please email our team here.
