As business leaders, we have the opportunity to influence not only people inside of our organizations, but also those around us every day. To do this, we have to understand how the role of leadership plays in this current climate as well as in our personal lives and habits.
Lead Our Companies & Community
We need calmness, not craziness. Don’t lean into the panic of the media; instead, work as a reliable and peaceful source for your team.
- – Good leaders act like leaders.
- > Know your strengths and weaknesses
- > Focus on making others successful
- > Seek help from others
- > Tell it like it is: as leaders, especially during this time, we need to be honest with ourselves and our teams.
Keep Clients in Mind
Clients need reassurance that you’re keeping them as a priority. To make sure you’re doing everything you can, here are a few questions to ask:
- – What can I offer my clients that would help them generate revenue fast?
- – What can I offer that would help them save money on marketing, sales, or operations? (think automation, online ordering, online forms, funnels, etc.)
- – Is there something I can do for my clients that if sold as a stand-alone service, it would be valuable to others in the market?
Another helpful and intentional way to let them know you’re thinking about their wellbeing is to send individual, personal, thoughtful emails to every client. Ask how they’re doing and if there’s anything you can do right now to support them.
Balance Work & Life
The best way to maintain balance is keeping a clear mind. We talk a lot about work/life balance, especially when working from home or a coworking space, but it is especially important right now. When there are no coworking spaces to turn to and you’re stuck at home, make sure to care for your routine.
- – Practice self care. Prepare for your day as normal. Get dressed and work from an area that is quiet and allows you to focus like you would at your normal workspace.
- – Create a routine, not a schedule. A schedule is a set of blocked times to do a certain task. If you weren’t doing this before, then it will most likely not be helpful right now. Instead of listing out your schedule of when you’re working, create a routine. Routines are habits that you create and set in motion. These will help your mind adjust and be more effective.
- – Lean in to the positive and be intentional with the time we have with families. Although this season is unexpected and far from ideal, don’t let this time slip by. Enjoy the extra time with your family and focus on growing relationships and creating memories. This will always be a time to look back on cherish–even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. Here are some ideas to help keep the family entertained if you run out of activities!
Additional Resources
- – The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz
- – Don’t let social distancing come between you and your clients, friends, and family. These tools will help you connect in a temporarily virtual world.