Many leaders and managers I know, especially at nonprofits, are working harder than ever during this pandemic. Their challenges are extremely volatile, unprecedented, and high stakes – creating extra personal strain. As I zoom out from what I’m seeing, reading and experiencing, I see a few patterns that differentiate the most resilient professionals from others.
The professionals who are functioning most effectively, in personally sustainable ways, use a combination of three approaches. Each approach involves both an inner mindset and an outwardly visible behavior that they seem to practice with intention. I invite you to try to soak up some of this role modeling.
- The leaders who remain energized acknowledge the small wins even though they are outweighed by much larger uncontrollable setbacks. They have recalibrated what “good enough” and “enough” can mean for the foreseeable future. With compassion for themselves and others, they acknowledge each job well done and the small victories of a productive day even when they fall short of desired outcomes.
- The most productive and positive leaders also generally accept the uncertainty of their environment. Employing tremendous self-awareness, they don’t waste energy resisting and resenting how much predictability and control they have lost. Instead, they focus on today’s challenge with the best forward-looking information and resources that they have. They can do this because they trust that they and their teams will navigate the next surprise, and the next, and the next – even though they do not know how or when.
- The professionals who don’t let exhaustion beat them down also incorporate high quality human connection into every day. This is not about the frequency of virtual team meetings. It is about building in personal connections that used to be more serendipitous. They plan 1 on 1 calls, videos or walks that are meaningful because they generate a bond, or humor, or shared learning, or extra empathy. By assuring themselves a steady diet of meaningful connection, resilient leaders don’t let their physical isolation breed emotional isolation. Their connectedness in turn fuels their resourcefulness and sense of possibility.
I am looking for more practices that can keep each of us calmer, stronger and contented as our new normal evolves. Please share your own tips.
