Coronavirus: What Leaders Can Do
What science says leaders should do to help their employees navigate through the global pandemic.
When’s the last time you read or talked about the COVID-19 pandemic? Five minutes ago, right?
If you’re a leader, here’s a fresh perspective on how you can take care of your team in these chaotic and uncertain times. Check out the Neuroleadership Institute’s webinar Coronavirus: What Science Says Leaders Should Do.
In the webinar, Dr. David Rock explains that the organizing principle of the brain is to categorize our experiences into threats or rewards. At the moment, we’re all in—surprise, surprise—the state of threat.
Not only that. We’re at Level 3 of threat (Level 1: the virus is somewhere else far away from me; Level 2: the virus is in my neighborhood; Level 3: the virus is right at my doorstep).
Level 3 is a mental state that gives priority to our survival instincts. In turn, this causes a decline in our ability to think rationally and creatively.
As a leader, you can shift your mindset, as well as the mindset of your team, from a state of panic to a state of calm:
1. Give people as much certainty as you can.
For example, instead of staying: “I haven’t got any new information; I can’t tell you anything,”
you can say:
“I don’t have any updates at the moment, but I’ll communicate everything I know every seven days.”
Also, let your team know that they will not have to be laid off or take unpaid leave if your business is strong enough to weather current circumstances. This will be a huge boost to morale and prevent any damaging speculation.
2. Increase your team’s autonomy
Why are people queuing to buy toilet paper and flour? As we lose the freedom to do what we want to do and go where we want to go, we’re plundering grocery stores in the desperate attempt to gain control over at least something.
Your team needs more than toilet paper supplies. Be creative about how you give them a greater sense of control. For example, is there a way for people to have more control over their working hours? If they have to take care of their kids during the day, they’ll appreciate the option to work in the evening.
3. Bring people together
In times of crisis, it is intuitive for us to reach out to each other for support. But now, the best we can do for each other is to engage in #socialdistancing.
The internet has never been more integral to our lives than now. Do everything you can to help your people stay close. Turn on the video camera during conference calls. Communicate well and often.
4. Focus on shared goals
Finally, as Dr. Rock suggests, there’s one powerful thing you can do to make a significant shift in all three areas (people’s perceived certainty, autonomy, and relatedness): Focus on shared goals. Make plans collectively, identify strategies to push forward together, and ensure that everybody is in it together.
