Open our eyes to what is already there

Being contained in our homes—maybe for months—is already reorienting our relationship to government, to the outside world, even to each other. It will be near-impossible to put that genie back in the bottle, with many people learning that the difference between having to put on a tie and commute for an hour or working efficiently at home was always just the ability to download one or two apps. No one knows exactly what will come. Will touch become taboo? 


But this crisis presents a revived appreciation for the outdoors and life’s other simple pleasures. We could travel almost without limitations and meet people without restrictions. For a long time, we’ve probably taken for granted the ability to see our colleagues every day and maybe didn’t realize how valuable that was.

It is important to note that for a tikme in my life, I chose to be blind. Because of that choice, I was blind not only to beauty; I was also blind to forgiveness, to the value in others and a host of other things. These past two months of lockdown has left me determined to not feel regrets at the end of my own time, whenever that will be. There was no way I was going to be given the gift of this wisdom and not learn by it.

It's too easy to want more from life, and that's fine to a degree, since expanding who we are is part of dreaming and growing. But as we will never have everything we want and will always be growing, appreciating what we already have along the way is the most important thing.

Here's a wake-up call question: If you had one year to live, how would you organize your life?

In business, growth is good. In executive waistlines, growth isn't. Health and fitness are virtually ignored by a preponderance of top executives. We've all heard the basic rules of peak performance: get the proper amount of rest, eat a good diet and exercise. Somehow many top leaders think they do not need what the rest of us mere mortals must have to be at our best. 

Here's a million-dollar question: If someone you love died today, what would you regret?

Would you regret not communicating how much you loved and cared for the individual? Or that you had not paid enough attention to supporting the other person's life? 

We can never know how long we are here for or how long those we love will be. Don't lose touch with the friends you value most. Those who accept you as who you are, and who know you very well, are worth more than anything in the end. Many of my best memories of friendships were of walkimg, talking and laughing. Don't let life get in the way. 

If you often find yourself thinking "if only", it's time to take back responsibility for your life and your schedule and priorities. It's that simple. When it comes to living, it's now or never. There's no "later."

Life is over so quickly. Some of us will live a long life, many of us won't. We spend so much time making plans for the future, often assuming all of the time in the world, when all we ever have is out life today. 

Each day is as precious as our last, because one of these days, it will be.

Do what counts

WFH burnout is real. Workplace burnout doesn't just happen to people who put in long hours at the office. It's also a threat to the millions of people due to the suddenness of having to work from home. How can we “leave our work at the door” if we are no longer going out the door?


Google announced May 22 as a company holiday to tackle WFH burnout. 


You know the type: the kind of eager beaver who is so “committed” that they are first to boot up the computer, last to shutdown, never takes a break, grinds right through lunch, always eager to take on a new project, months of unused vacation and personal days piled up. Our culture loves these people, considering them the very definition of the word dedication.


Don’t get me wrong. I am not against honest labour. I am not suggesting that hard work is not paramount to growth. But hard work will no more make you an inspired performer than practicing your penmanship will earn you a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. 


Rest is a good thing. The benefits of rest are supported by a large body of scientific evidence. It’s not that people want to wear themselves down. While it was easier to compartmentalize your workweek with things like commutes, weekend plans, and Monday morning banter, our current situation has made those boundaries disappear. For some, isolation and for others, working at home in the presence of their families add to the stress. 

As a leader, I hold my team's well-being at the heart of my motivational outlook. Before you slight well-being as too "fluffy" consider the perspective of Dr Dirk Veldhort who was adamant: "with well-being, you can create value for yourself and your organization. Without it, short-term productivity is less probable and long-term growth is almost impossible." Blindness to WFH burnout shows you are not adapting to the needs of the moment. 

Realistically, there is never going to be a time when nothing is on your plate. Leaders constantly see new things to fix or act upon. Busi-ness leaders get in a cycle of setting impossible expectations of themselves and their teams. 

A leader must create breathing room on a daily basis. Leaders who do less but do more of the right things are more effective. 

 

Care more

Corona Divorce. That term is trending on Japanese social media sites as couples in lockdown grow fed up with each other. “My husband’s loud voice. The television is on loudly all day. My husband snoring as he lays in the middle of the living room,” wrote one Japanese wife on Twitter. “I’ve put up with this for 10 days. How many more days will it last? Will my spirit hold?”

Life in lockdown has changed almost everything about the way we live and work. Life has changed like never before. From struggling to keep a business afloat to the experience of redundancy or furlough,  from the effect on your children to your work-life balance, cooking habits and entertainment under lockdown, all of us are having to learn to adapt.

There has never been a more crucial time for strong leadership than at any time in history. With anxieties on job security and an unscheduled crash course in 100% remote leadership, the impact of disruption affects different people–mentally, emotionally and operationally–in different ways. Four weeks ago, we would never have expected that our meetings, our conferences would all need to take place from our home offices or our kitchen tables.

I'll say this simply: how you treat people when times are good and how you treat them when times turn bad will define your true measure of wealth. A major part of my 2020 has been spent trying to understand what it really means to be a virtual leader - particularly under conditions of adversity and ambiguity.

Leadership isn't a punch-in/punch-out position, it's a privilege. When you sacrifice for your team, it gains loyalty, which is again a privilege. The people I have the opportunity to lead do things because they care, not because they have to.

You build influence and forge genuine relationships when you put their needs before your needs. You want to be the type of leader who walks into the room and says, "There you are!" instead of "Here I am!"

As a leader, I gave more and got much more in return. In order to be a true leader, you need to have a deep passion for helping the people you're leading. Of course, I am in no way saying I do things perfectly, or that I always get things right with our people. Sometimes I blow it completely. But no one will tell you I don't try.

Under extreme pressure, the ability to lighten up, celebrate and laugh can make all the difference. It can break a spirit of depression and stimulate creativity.  It can cut through fear and tension. Finally, it can enable a team to refocus, renergize and surmount daunting obstacles. When times were not so bad, celebration came easily. What is most impressive, however, is that the spirit of celebration continued throughout these darkest of days, when cheerful rituals  could easily have turned to deep despair.

We meet virtually for team bonding games and activities. It creats an upbeat mood and a way of thinking about life that sustains us through these grimmest of times.

Optimism can be sparked by reframing tough situations in positive, empowering ways. It is important to note that the concept of reframing is not simply saying blithely that things will be all right. Rather, it is to take the difficult situation and envision all the possible outcomes, both positive and negative. We looked thought about what could be the most critical priorities, what are the key opportunities for action and what concrete things can we do to create a sense of momentum and forward movement.

People have an incredible B.S. screen. They know when you're smoking them, and they know when you are being real.

My team see me showing up via casual calls, messages, video chats, both individual and group. There are ways of showing up which do not take much effort and no money whatsoever. But they do take interest. Little things count. Sometimes little things count the most. Small deeds are far better than great intentions.  Everyone wants to know that their leader takes an interest in them for the long term and ants them to succeed. People don’t care how much you know. They want to know how much you care. 

Caring leads to trust. Care and compassion have an impact on the bottom line. Rainbows after storms. Never let a good crisis go to waste.