I recently posted my experience of running an Authentic Leadership Effectiveness master class on Zoom for a number of leaders in an international organisation, and how I had kicked off that session. I shared that in about April last year, I woke up just after midnight, and it was as if I heard the following conversation between Covid19 and the world:
- COVID-19 to the world: What on earth do you think you are doing?
- World to COVID-19: So busy with doing, don’t have time to think!
- COVID-19: Hmmm… I think I can help you with that….
I followed on with the question: Nine months into SA Covid-19: What, if any, positive effects might Covid19 have had thus far in putting your life and the world onto a better trajectory? The response themes were most revealing.
Two weeks later I ran a follow-up Master class with these leaders on Zoom, entitled ‘Authentic Leadership Effectiveness for Teams and Organisations’. In the follow-up session, I then asked them the next question, ‘Nine months into SA Covid-19: What, if any, positive changes due to Covid-19 would you like to continue with to direct your life at and outside work onto a better trajectory?’ Following were the responses I received. Once again, I grouped the responses into themes:
- Team adaptability and agility – new ways of working – Work-life balance: Work-from-home (WFH) on certain days …to maintain the balance |WFH and the flexibility there-of |Continue with a mix of the WFH and office | Rather than work life balance, focus on how to integrate work and life better | work-life balance | WFH – I think it’s really been good from a team level and in general a personal level – especially for empaths | Integrating WFH and work from office in sustainable solution | Continue with work life balance | Flexibility and quality of life / work life balance | work life balance | Quality work life balance. I still struggle with that | Work life balance – I know lot of us who keeps working till 1am – 2 am in the morning | Manage time slots to be productive | Lockdown Days ….no external influences needed | Also manage my calendar a day before the actual day.
- Team / human connection: Focus on human relationships/interaction | Making a focused effort to connect with team and family | consistency with keeping in touch with team members
- Reconnecting with family and exercise: quality time with family | Evening walks with my husband and quality time with my family |Continue to balance work / family / religion and exercise.
- Self-care and self-development: Continue with interpersonal development and raising my frequency | Continue with the health mindset | stillness – in general its reconnected us as a whole.
Covid19 has allowed us to reveal what we need as human beings to live our lives in a win-win way for all; individuals and organisations. It does not have to be an either / or; rather it can be a both / and situation, or a third way not yet considered. As we enter 2021, little will be as it was before, and the choice we have, is how to ensure that it is better than before.
What good did Covid19 expose to you, and which of these would you like to continue with? An even more important question that individuals and organisations will need to grapple with, is how can this be operationalised for the greater good of all, so that it does not become like another New Year’s resolution, made on the 1st day of the new year, and soon forgotten thereafter.
May we ensure that 2021 is a better year for us all!