The new reality for Leadership
There is an enormous number of discussions about the Post-COVID new working reality. All employers and employees are intensifying these discussions as we all expect (hope) for change after approximately 14 months of disruption with a tremendous effect on our professional and private life. Unprecedented for our generations, and remarkable the way we all handled this. But apart from a normal private life, we also look forward to a normal working life again. The latter is often referred to as the new normal, implying that businesswise we don’t feel like returning to the identical Pre-Covid times. We all noticed that there are quite some elements in the (forced) adjustments that are here to stay. Less commuting, more family time and meeting efficiency are some of the often-heard advantages. But on the other side of the coin; we miss personal contacts, the bonding with our colleagues, the spirit of being and creating together, etc, etc.
It is clear to everybody that we could handle more changes than we ever imagined to be possible, so I’m confident that we will grow to a new “best of both worlds”-solution. And hopefully with more agility than before; agility will be the key word for the future, apart from the disrupted change we experienced.
A bit left out in the discussion is the effect on Leadership. The current reality already led to big uncertainty for some managers, and some are hoping to go back to the old normal, where the well-known mechanisms come in place again. However, this is not happening. We are all adjusting, and leadership should adjust as well and lead by example, even more important than ever.
Trust is crucial. Trust that individuals are perfectly capable of managing themselves and finding new ways to handle their business. Leadership needs to facilitate this process, and not reluctantly try to manage or minimize the change. Personally, I think it is a great chance for leaders to embrace this change and benefit together with our teams, building an even stronger organization with improvements for all involved.
But above all, let’s enjoy the journey, embrace change, as this will be the only constant factor.
By Bas Ossewaarde on 1 June 2021