The coronavirus pandemic is a new and different experience for most of us. Like a major snowstorm, it has forced us from our normal routines. But unlike a snow day, we don’t see ourselves getting back to normal quickly. The loss our normal daily rhythm has physical, mental and emotional consequences.
For most people, even worse than the loss of routine is the uncertainty about the future. The uncertainty fuels fear. People are afraid for their physical safety, alarmed by an invisible threat. They are afraid for their economic security, concerned about losing their income or the stores not having the things they need to buy. And most importantly, people are afraid about doing the wrong thing. Do we cancel our vacation? Do we go to our friend’s birthday party? Do I let my kids play at the neighbor’s house?
At the same time we face these fears, we need to be physically separated from one another. At the very moment a support network is most important, people should stay by themselves in their homes. We have amazing communication technology but being isolated in their homes will make people feel disconnected. Unfortunately, the right actions to guard physical safety may weaken our ability to maintain mental and emotional wellness.
The simple truth is that during a global pandemic, everyone will be hurting one way or another.
Leaders strive to lead everyone and do whatever they can to help people be well and do good. There is no more important time for leadership than now. Great leaders can make a difference in the lives of others in times like these. I think there are a few things leaders should be doing to help others through this pandemic.
Be clear about what we know, be honest about what we don’t know
Leaders first should minimize the psychological harm of uncertainty by proactively building a shared understanding of the present. Leaders need to highlight the facts and acknowledge the unknowns. Sharing information on all channels, in as many ways as practical will spread understanding and try to drown out uncertainty. Perhaps even more importantly, being just as clear about what is not known yet will help cover holes that otherwise may be filled by rumors or misinformation.
Admitting that we don’t know everything is critically important to building trust. If leaders try to convince people that they have perfect awareness of a complex and rapidly changing situation, they will inevitably be proven wrong. If people recognize a leader’s statement as incorrect, they will question everything else the leader says.
If leaders do not provide clarity for both facts and unknowns, people will consider everything to be unknown. They may discount important guidance from medical experts or public health authorities. That would create the potential for physical harm in addition to the psychological harm.
It is also important to note that a shared understanding of the present cannot be built by broadcasting information in one direction. Leaders need to share what they know but also need to be actively listening to learn what other people are experiencing. This is always important but even more critical when airwaves are completely filled with chatter about the pandemic. The only way for leaders to know what people believe to be true, or not true, is to ask and listen. The only way to have empathy for what others are experiencing is to ask and listen. The only way to know what management actions are necessary to meet others’ needs is to ask and listen.
People want to know what is going to happen to them
Even more important than building a shared understanding of the present is to inspire a shared vision of the near future. Readers of The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner will spot the that book’s second practice, but I think the current trying times demand a slightly different, shorter-term focus.
A person’s mental and emotional wellness during this global pandemic will be driven in large part by their own belief about how they will fare. Our job as leaders is to describe a positive yet authentic image of what life will be like during the worst of pandemic. We need to help people see themselves getting through, or even doing well. People unable to picture themselves as safe in the coming weeks will feel stress, despair, unhappiness or any other negative emotion. But if they are armed with a livable vision of the near future, people can steel themselves to endure the discomforts, challenges and uncertainties we’re headed for.
I think it is important to focus on the time during the pandemic, not after it. Telling people that everything will be fine once this is over does not help them feel ready to face the difficult days between now and then. A leader who avoids discussion of the tough times will do no good.
Much as leaders must listen to others to build a shared understanding of the present, they must also listen to craft the right vision of the near future. The content of that vision, the scenes it should describe, will be revealed in the concerns people share when a leader is listening. If a leader hears people are worried about occupying their children while school is closed, the vision should describe what children could be doing. If people are worried about what it would be like to be sick with COVID-19, the vision should be based on facts from medical authorities, but it should describe people getting through it. The vision is the authentic yet optimistic counterpoint to people’s greatest worries.
In order for a vision to have a positive mental and emotional impact on others, a leader must share it constantly. An encouraging email to all hands is a good idea but cannot be the only attempt to inspire others to share in the vision. Much as shared facts and admitted unknowns need to be communicated on all channels, a leader should find ways to share their vision and offer encouragement in every conversation.
Your vision will show you what to do
The thought work of developing a leadership vision for the weeks ahead can help a leader with management responsibilities figure out what to do. If the vision of a safe future includes isolated, at-risk families receiving food deliveries, it’s time to organize food delivery. If the vision depends on people being able to get their work done from the safety of their homes, leaders need to figure out the technology solution to allow that to happen. The use of a vision both inspires other people to feel better and helps a grounded leader figure out what action to take to help other people physically be better.
Whatever is in store for all of us in the next few weeks, the one thing I am certain of is that it will affect everyone. Everyone is likely to experience worry, or fear, or sadness. The strongest force we have to counter those feelings is leadership. We all have a responsibility to be honest and authentic, yet optimistic and inspiring, in order to help other people through this time. This is exactly what I mean by leaders’ work.