“Not since the Industrial Revolution have we been in a position to fundamentally rethink how we work and where we work from. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new normal, given how we are performing better.” (Arianna Huffington). After a year and a half of uncertainty, ambiguity, fear for one’s own health, the role of the leader has taken on new meaning.
Research shows that when asked about the best experience they’ve had with a leader, most people refer to those who helped them grow in their career, who were honest and acted with integrity, who cared about their team.
People often see leaders as containers, they share stories of what happened to them in the pandemic, whether or not it explicitly affects their job. The leader has become a kind of psychologist, volens nolens, I dare say, which adds to their already existing agenda, their own inherent uncertainties, and anxieties.
Two issues are important at this time – though I would say not only – they have to do with relational hygiene:
- caring for the well-being and mental health of the people in the team;
- focusing on one’s own well-being.
This means it’s good for the leader to put on the oxygen mask first, as the flight attendants on the plane urge us; then to demonstrate first the behaviour they expect from others. Why? Because you can’t show empathy, care for others if you don’t know how to care for yourself. An increased level of self-awareness is recommended.
The pandemic is not over. The big business schools are talking about a second pandemic: this one would be linked to challenges to people’s mental health and well-being. Flexibility, resilience, well-being, mental health, mindset – these are words that have become contemporary memes.
But beyond the surface, there are issues that deserve attention. A study cited by Motivosity in its ‘Guide to Workplace Wellbeing’, conducted in China, Denmark, USA, Italy, Iran, Spain, Nepal, and Turkey, shows that employee wellbeing has suffered enormously: depression has risen from 14.6% before the pandemic to 48.3%, anxiety – from 6.33% to 50.9%, and stress levels have risen from 8.1% to 81.9%.
The World Health Organization stated in 2019 that depression and anxiety are the leading causes of declining employee productivity globally. The costs of this decline amounted to $1 trillion.
It seems easy to talk about all this, but what can we do? How can leaders be congruent, gain or maintain the trust of the people in their teams?
I will recall a scene from Eugene Ionesco’s play “Exit the King”. The King, who is ill, asks his maid if she has been to the market. She says:Yes, Your Majesty, and I saw eggplants.
-Did you see aubergines?
-Yes, Your Majesty. I also saw tomatoes.
-Did you see tomatoes? asks the king enthusiastically.
-Yes, Your Majesty; but I climb 237 steps to the castle.
-How happy you are that you can climb them!
To face the challenges, we can take the example of Ionesco’s king: be happy with who we are, what we do, what we have, be happy that we are healthy.
I’d add the micro-pause strategy, which Arianna Huffington wrote about in her book, Thrive. For example, we all know that doctors advise us to take 10,000 steps every day. But it’s hard, we don’t always find the time, and for those of us who work a lot in front of the computer, it’s quite out of reach.
But we can park our car further away from home so that whenever we leave, we have to walk a bit further. We can’t walk for two hours every day, but we can start with 20 minutes. It will seem more workable, acceptable.
More concretely, what can the leader do for themselves and the team?
Here are some ideas for putting on the metaphorical oxygen mask:
- Get a coach, a mentor;
- Focus: write down the everyday priorities. Deciding what’s important and what’s not helps reduce stress and increases productivity;
- Exercise: even if they work from home, they can schedule 5-10 minutes between online meetings; they can do some online chatting while walking in the park;
- Make a point of each day. But they need to get comfortable leaving something unfinished, occasionally picking it up again the next day to give themselves time to recharge their batteries. The principle is similar to how we use our phones. We need to leave it charging, then we can enjoy it to the full;
- Make a change of mindset. For example, I would question beliefs like “I must have all the answers” or “I must solve all the team’s problems” that we still hear from leaders. You don’t have to solve everything, you don’t have to have all the answers;
- Building resilience. For example, they can write down their most burning concerns on a sheet of paper, then make a plan for each one. Often, when we get our thoughts down on paper, when we get them out of our heads, we get aim and it becomes easier to find ways to cope;
- To have compassion for oneself. This helps increase optimism, resilience, joy;
- To connect with others, to plan moments of connection with those who matter to them;
- Treating themselves as they would treat a good friend.
Here are some ideas a leader can apply to take care of the well-being of the people in their team:
- Offer them training, coaching, mentoring, a subscription to an app that is like a coach on their phone;
- Take the time to understand them: ask them questions; listen to, understand, and support them;
- Challenge their limiting beliefs. For example, instead of “I don’t have time to get involved”, let them say to themselves: “This is a valuable investment of time for me”. Instead of “I need to say what I need to say”, let them say to themselves: “I need to listen”. Instead of “I need to solve the problem”, let them say to themselves: “I can help just by being there for them”;
- Watch out for signs of stress: someone is more withdrawn, less engaged, often late, procrastinating; overworked; seems overwhelmed; says only negative things about themselves;
- Daily connect with each team member;
- Create a psychologically safe environment: invite others to talk about themselves; make personal disclosures; show respect and vulnerability; be curious, ask questions and ask for feedback;
- When leading a hybrid meeting, start with those who are online. It will help them be more engaged, feel part of the team.
Of course, these are just a few suggestions. We probably won’t be perfect. Probably not all people will feel equally dedicated, engaged, or enthusiastic. But what we can do is start with small steps. After all, we can take the example of Tony Hsieh of Zappos. If on 1st of January we have €100 and we add 1% every day of the year, at the end of the year we will have €3,778.
Similarly, if every day we add 1% to what we do to address this second pandemic, that of mental health and wellness for ourselves and those around us, then at the end of the year our dedication, productivity, and motivation could increase exponentially.”
via: Forbes