Some leaders have made headlines for their proactive and empathetic brand of leadership displayed during the ongoing COVID- 19 induced pandemic. One such standout case has been the Prime Minister of New Zealand- Jacinda Ardern. Another one has been that of the NBA commissioner- Adam Silver. Both took strong measures when the crisis was only at the surface. This helped them avoid the larger crises that other countries or organizations faced. Good leadership during this phase can go counter to the instincts that one normally works with. While usually leaders wait for the complete business intelligence to filter in, now they need to act with urgency. Their communications too need to be transparent. Those that have deliberately withheld the bad news or downplayed the crisis, suffered as a result of this. One needs to take complete responsibility and focus on solving problems. Instead of staying on the course, leaders now need to remain constantly engaged and updated.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/04/what-good-leadership-looks-like-during-this-pandemic?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_monthly&utm_campaign=leadership_not_activesubs&referral=00206&deliveryName=DM79314

Uploaded Date:13 May 2020

A study was recently conducted jointly by the Barrett Values Centre and Merryck & Co. to identify the areas where business leaders typically possess their blind spots. The areas were broadly divided among two categories. One of these was in “connecting with others” while the other one was for “driving performance”. The lack of people skills or emotional intelligence proves to be the biggest obstacle among present- day business leaders. Their communication skills and listening abilities were two others. Visibility and access was one more. Leaders’ ability to trust and their belief in delegation too is one such obstacle. Under the second category, it is time management where leaders lack the most. Many are seen to be as not- so- good in their abilities to draft a proper corporate strategy, or to display any vision. Their executive presence is another key factor. Employees also value leaders with accountability and conflict resolution abilities. Some leaders are superior at management training. Such leaders are valued more, as their team mates tend to learn a lot from them.

Source:https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Revealing-leaders-blind-spots?gko=e2a16

Uploaded Date:30 April 2020

During times of crisis, leaders’ talent management skills are put to the maximum test. There are certain behaviours that help leaders to manage more smoothly, at times of such crises. One such behaviour is to prioritize speed over utmost precision. Some amount of accuracy does get eroded in this process, but one can get the desired results quicker. The next is to adapt boldly. Several innovations could emerge at this time, while others could be merely spoken of. None of these will be successful unless one adapts at pace. One need also to deliver their projects reliably at such situations. And finally, engagement is critical. This engagement has to be targeted to create an impact. The entire leadership team must undergo strenuous management training sessions in order to hone this skill. Perfection will emerge once execution starts.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/04/4-behaviors-that-help-leaders-manage-a-crisis?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=00563&deliveryName=DM75017

Uploaded Date:16 April 2020

During these testing times amidst the COVID- 19 Pandemic, it is essential that empathy been shown by the business leaders. There are several stumbling blocks to this, though fortunately, there are also solutions to them. One key problem is the prevalence of too much Alpha or aggression. To stem this, leaders must remember to remain humane. There is also significant gender imbalance. This requires a more long- term approach by improving the ratio of women hired during the talent recruitment process. The CEO often lives within a bubble. They need to keep a tab on their handlers. There is also much over reliance on written statements. Instead, corporate training sessions must increase the focus on hands- on demonstration of the work to be assigned. Now is essentially the time to bridge the empathy gap.

Source:https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/How-leaders-can-bridge-the-empathy-gap-in-a-crisis?gko=46d15

Uploaded Date:31 March 2020