Essential Leadership Attributes Necessary to Fight Crisis
In case of any emergency or situations involving considerable risk, we look for support. We have a tendency to look up to our superiors for a means of receiving support and guidance. It is one of our most fundamental traits as a human. And that is to besiege those in power having leadership attributes to help resolve matters. Therefore, this pandemic is no different.
The role of leadership is adamantly defined to come to the rescue of their followers. They help them out of a tight spot. The impact of leadership during this global health crisis was evident during the 73rd World Health Assembly. It was purely virtual for the first time due to COVID-19. The event was co-sponsored by nearly 130 countries across the globe. Over 14 nationwide leaders took the stance to adopt resolutions for extensive immunisation for this terrible disease.
In light of this information, let’s take a quick look at some essential leadership attributes during the current pandemic.
1. Achievable Goal-Setting Skills
Economic activities around the globe took a huge hit with workflows and global supply chains disrupted across the planet. Even the sports and entertainment industries had to postpone their scheduled events. Furthermore, we find even Hollywood behind their predefined release dates for upcoming movies and features films.
Regardless of the choice of industry, at current times, we are all lagging behind due to the pandemic’s devastation. The leaders of today are expected to set achievable goals and targets that are manageable under the current circumstances.
They must be able to re-plan and regroup their resources. As a part of their leadership attributes, they must create a new strategy. And this will help the workforce to absorb the current shocks of the present-day ecosystem.
2. Conflict Management
Times are tough, and some of us are going through hell. Our lives have turned to misery with the irrevocable loss of family members and loved ones. As such, it is expected that many workers and employees may feel agitated. This can result in workplace conflicts. Even though at times it may be a by-product of the stress and depression caused by the ensuing pandemic.
As a leader, you are expected to display leadership attributes that can assist you in managing the people and addressing the situation carefully. This can entail deploying terrific conflict management skills to avoid confrontations. Hence you should resolve contradictions that may arise at the workplace swiftly and smoothly.
Things might not seem as they are perceived to be. This is why you need a mature mind to make judgments. Moreover, you should consolidate various other factors that are inflicting the performance and productivity at your workplace.
3. Delegating Healthy Work Habits
This global health crisis is showing no signs of calling mercy on the human population. As company leaders and managers, you should advise team members to follow best practices. This will include personal hygiene and grooming.
Furthermore, it has become your prime responsibility to ensure that workers and employees are provided with a safe haven. Workers should carry out their daily activities, duties, and responsibilities without the threat or risk of contracting the disease.
This is why, as a constituent element of your leadership attributes, precautionary measures have to be imposed. Social distancing at work, usage of hand sanitisers, and the wearing of masks must be mandatory for all employees.
You need to make sure that your workforce adheres to safety rules. They must follow regulations strictly at all times. This will ensure that your workplace doesn’t become the next target of this deadly virus.
4. Empathy & Compassion
Over 30 million US citizens have been cited and reported by various news resources to have filed for unemployment benefits. Furthermore, millions of families and individuals are also on the verge of receiving eviction notices from their landlords.
These are indeed extremely difficult times. As a role model for your company having terrific leadership attributes, you need to sharpen the saw. Develop skills to showcase empathy and compassion towards those who need it. There are possibly people taking the worst brunt and forceful impact on their lives due to the pandemic.
It would help if you reached out towards those who genuinely need some support. Lend out a helping hand to for others so that they can survive through these turbulent times. Consequently, nations across the world are gradually deciding to open up their countries.
This will allow people to get back to their normal lives. As leaders, we need first to open our hearts and try to understand their pain. This will help us comprehend the challenges other people are going through in their lives.
5. Flexibility & Adapting to Change
Right now, normal work routines and management of workflows are deeply impacted by the pandemic. This is why your leadership attributes should entail the ability to offer flexible timings for workers.
Furthermore, your own management style should be focused on adapting to current changes. Follow an adequate manner to ensure that work is carried out without incurring heavy or unbearable losses.
Obviously, your primary goal and objectives would be to increase the productivity of your workforce. This will include all channels and platforms. However, right now, acting rigidly or stubbornly can hamper any progress that your company is currently delivering.
Suppose you want to continue to deliver goods and generate outputs. In that case, it is best that you find viable means to adapt to these changes. For instance, the work-from-home culture that has been enforced upon us due to the pandemic. You should act proactively and adapt to the change.
6. Honesty & Frankness
Now is not the time to make people frightened or tighten their grasp on them. In fact, during the present times, it would be best to be completely honest. As a part of your leadership attributes incorporate a bit of frankness with your employees.
The more honest and frank you are with your employees, the more barriers in the communication you would overcome. This will also allow workers to build trust in their actions and decisions. During our weakest moments in life, people with strong personalities can help us get out of a messy situation.
This pandemic is much more than what it initially looks like or portrayed in the media. This is why all eyes are set on leaders to come up with intuitive strategies. You should convey useful ideas and notions to help the workforce overcome workplace-related insecurities.
7. Mindful Listening Skills
Another fruitful talent that top-level managers must include in their arsenal of leadership attributes these days is mindful listening. Mindful listening is a method of listening to where people can address their concerns and issues freely. They are not judged or faced with criticism on what is being said.
In fact, they are able to determine the root cause of the problem without reacting in a negative manner. There are various courses and training platforms online that offer you certifications regarding the development of such skills.
Through the deployment of mindful listening skills by leaders in workplace settings, a lot of benefits can be derived. They would become aware of each individual’s internal conflicts and thought process. Thus enabling them to react and effectively communicate with employees.
8. Promoting Work-Life Balance
Our work-life balances have been thrown aside. Both corporate and personal circles in our lives have been affected by COVID-19. This is high time for us to implement leadership attributes that promote work-life balance. This will help bring people back to normalcy.
Life on the planet cannot continue the way we have been experiencing in the past couple of months. COVID-19 is adversely affecting everything we do and once cherished. However, through strong and powerful leadership guiding us along the way, the masses can quickly get back on their feet. This will encourage people to step over the challenges that we are currently facing in our lives.
9. Optimism vs. Realism
Hope is a candle bearer that can drive us towards the light at the end of the tunnel. This is why, as leaders of your organisations, you mustn’t let your employees lose sight of hope.
However, being overly optimistic during the current situation can also pose a risk to the safety of people. Hence precaution should be advised with a grain of realism. We have to empower people to make sound judgments in their daily life routines without putting themselves at risk. Moreover, this message has to be communicated through your position as a leader. Make people listen and adhere to your warnings. Plus keep a cheery attitude at the workplace during these dark times.
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Conclusion
As leaders, people expect you to utilise reassuring communication skills to relay positivity throughout the organisation. Try to boost other people’s confidence in themselves.
You are also required to deploy exquisite people management skills. Make sure that your team members and the constituent members of your department are all kept on the same page. This will allow them to perform and cohesively deliver work.
I hope this post was able to offer you some delightful insights as to how you can use leadership attributes to manage your work teams and employees during the current pandemic.
Action: For even more useful content on leadership, check out our ultimate guide on Leadership Skills.
