Leadership in the time of COVID-19

"We need people who speak the truth, show courage, admit when they do not know, and take risks navigating the unknown."

It has been more than a year since this coronavirus pandemic started. I am certain many of us are already tired and anxious about when this crisis is going to end. Many of us are hoping for the time when things will be back to the way they were before.

But more than a year into this pandemic, we are faced with an inconvenient truth: We are never going back. The ways by which we have adopted and adapted our lifestyle to the towering demands of this global health emergency are here to stay. The more relevant question that we should be asking instead is how—not when—this crisis is going to end.

How can we make this crisis work to our advantage?

It is often said, every crisis comes with an opportunity.  But are the opportunities that come with this crisis?

Three things come to mind: To learn more creatively, live more meaningfully and lead with more empathy.

First, learn creatively. No society, country or organization today can ever claim being a hundred percent prepared for this pandemic. In fact, many if not all were caught by surprise. I remember, at the beginning of this crisis, I was  hopeful that it would all be over in three to four months. But three, six, nine months came by, and still no clear end in sight. Even now the number of infections has surged once more, and it seems the gains of the past months have all been lost.

So how to survive in a time of challenge? We learn the power of the pivot. We learn to move and redirect strategy quickly. This is one lesson is to make the most out of our available skills and resources in order to not only withstand this crisis, but by learning to do more with less, also to emerge from it even stronger. Thus, it is important for us to think creatively. This means thinking out of the box, having the eye for innovation and the courage to embrace change in the process.

The gainers that have fared better than the others during this crisis are those organizations and companies who have pivoted quickly in the face of this pandemic and allowed for adaptability.

As young leaders, what have we learned from learning creatively is that availability is as important as ability. That the willingness to learn is as important as the lessons to be embraced. That the courage to change is as impactful as the change itself that we want to achieve. It would not be easy, but it is exactly the adversity that we have to deal with that will help us become even better. In the end, we realize that while this new normal of doing things may be different—in many ways, it could be better.

Second, live more meaningfully. The people and institutions that we thought to be formidable—the giants of politics, economics and even culture—have all been shaken by this crisis. We saw the matters that once occupied many of our everyday concerns replaced by the more familiar that we once took for granted—family, faith and friendship. Before, we gave time and attention to our business or professions; now we spend them more with the people who mean to us, or with activities that have sparked some new inspiration in us.

In a way, this crisis has changed the way we live our lives. We have come face to face with how what we thought to be formidable now to be fragile and even at risk, in the end changing our outlook and perspective of the world. Health has become more important than wealth, our purpose more valuable than our positions and that people worth more than profit.

This is, for me, the most important lesson from this pandemic: We put people first. The unfettered drive for success in the pre-pandemic society has often made us think that people are like lifeless cogs in a machine, that they are but dispensable components to a system. But this crisis has made us realize once more the importance of human relationships. The paradox is unmistakable: Forced by being disconnected physically, we are finding more and more reasons and ways to get connected.

Third, lead with more empathy. In the days before this pandemic, strong leadership was given a premium, and the leaders who got things done, whatever the cost, were well applauded. It was unheard of the need for a business or political leader to be compassionate and supportive. In a dog-eat-dog world, it was far more important for them to motivate others to produce results. Winning was all that mattered.

Until the pandemic happened. All of a sudden, our businesses, politics and economies were all turned upside down. All of a sudden, the systems that we were used to were not working anymore. So we turn to the very people who made them work. We have learned to put our feet into their shoes. We have started to listen to their cares and concerns. We realize that people will cherish our actions more during challenging times, and that kindness in a moment of difficulty is an investment that yields long-term results. Now we see once more the value of inspiring and motivating others to take action in the face of the most trying challenges.

That is why whenever I have the opportunity to speak to young leaders, I always remind them that this crisis is one of the best times to be a leader. When we have to learn how to become a leader with empathetic agility. When we learn how to be a leader with passionate purpose. When we become leaders through compassionate service. Nothing will test our mettle as a leader more powerfully than this time of adversity.

More than a leader who speaks well, we look up to a leader who listens more intently. More than a leader who can easily convince a client, far more important is someone who cares for the team. Much more than a leader who forces people to action, we need someone who inspires others to find their purpose.

More than ever before, the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the COVID pandemic have brought to the fore the need for leaders to speak the truth, show courage, admit when they do not know, and take risks navigating the unknown