Five leadership lessons that Covid-19 taught us

When the Covid-19 crisis hit the UAE earlier this season, I had just taken on a new project that involved working closely with a client every day.

Little did I understand the way the crisis would affect the global economy and how we work. The project that my client and my team were likely to work on shifted completely online. Since our project depended on us being together in the same physical space and we were not able to meet up for months, the launch date was delayed for a year.

As an entrepreneur committed to developing my leadership skills, there is merely so much that books and seminars can do to prepare you. I possibly could not anticipate this situation or just how it afflicted my leadership, nonetheless, it taught me important lessons that could help us navigate an emergency.

Adaptation is paramount to business survival: The Covid-19 crisis showed us that we really cannot predict exactly what will happen tomorrow. Rules change on a regular basis to adapt to the problem, therefore will our business strategies. For an organized and goal-oriented person that meticulously plans every detail, being unsure of the way the next month would turn out was challenging and humbling. This crisis showed me that it was OK to keep changing our plans. It generally does not mean that we didn't plan well, or that we’re bad leaders, but we are adapting to the problem. Adaptation is a crucial survival skill during uncertainty. By adapting fast, we are serving our business and protecting it against failure.

Act fast: Similar to how fast the regulations and the information available about the virus changed, so when your decision process. Taking as enough time as you will need is an extravagance that you cannot always afford, especially during uncertain times. Learning how exactly to act fast and pivoting would not only save from making serious mistakes but may also save you money and your business over time.

It really is absolutely fine never to know everything and seek help: For some time, I felt lost and didn't know how I should go about planning a long-term strategy for among my clients. I needed advice and I realized that it had been fine to be lost because everybody else was. So, I made a decision to get in touch with other entrepreneurs about any of it. I felt at ease knowing that I wasn’t the only person feeling that way, but was also in a position to think of a solution faster when I asked persons with a fresh perspective about my situation.

Great leaders are compassionate and supportive: Shifting to working at home and not being able to see associates has been challenging for most, especially to those that haven’t embraced digital tools. It is of these difficult times that your team needs you the most. Even if your team can’t see you face-to-face, you can still inspire and motivate them from afar. Gestures such as offering to be there to hear their concerns through an open-door policy or providing well-being support and more flexible work options could go quite a distance together with your team. My grandmother always told me that people cherish your actions more during challenging times, and that kindness can be an investment that yields long-term results.

Serve your community: Businesses aren’t separated from communities, and this is exactly why they should serve their community members during good and a down economy. Great business leaders are those who put their community first, whether by accommodating their clients in a safe environment or by dedicating a specific percentage of their profits towards community initiatives.

As humanity overcomes this crisis, this is of leadership and what takes its great leader changes. The leaders of tomorrow are those that can guide their team through uncertainty, act fast, seek help when needed while being there for the team as their team will there be for them.