Recent events of the pandemic spread of COVID -19 over the world has started to make people reshape and evaluate their personal and professional lives. The deadly human toll is increasing and the economic damage to business is far reaching. The government’s response is to provide reassurance and provide a package of fiscal measures to protect the economy of the U.K.

In the face of the uncertain challenges and risks that now are being faced by senior leaders and CEO’s, the leadership paradigm needs to be revisited to develop pragmatic short, medium and long terms actions to Re-Act, Re-grow and Revitalise Growth.

Providing leadership development through the lens of Emotional Intelligence and developing real strategies through EQi coaching I have gathered a number of fundamental areas that have been discussed by my clients. I have collected the learning to share with others to consider how they as leaders focus on in building more resilient organisations during the current COVID – 19 crisis:

1. Engage head thinking and human thinking – Tasks and what people need to do will be stored in business continuity plans. Problem solving and providing process and structure will be the easy part. Linking this to ‘softer’ human skills to what this means for Me and You will be harder.

Engagement plans with staff and building more trust will be the watch word. Holding others to account with compassion and encouraging feedback conversations will be more essential than visible leadership walkabouts that most leaders indulge in. Leaders using compassion and empathy will have more effective communications and informed decision making will be enhanced with employees.

2. Why are we here – the function or mission of the organisation must be clarified to stabilize an open dialogue to find opportunities and solutions. De-centralising decision-making that will make for speed and consistency. An empowered workforce will come together and bond in a crisis.

3. Transparency – Building stronger relationships with open and logical information that assists all leaders to take responsibility to own their actions. Having a clear purpose will motivate and engage employees. Transparency leads to better relationships and with shared experience builds better trust.

4. What Next – Our capacity in operating within a change flux is like evolutionary processes – it provides opportunities to understand how things can be done differently with the same or reduced resources. Start to become sharper at relating the mission of the organisation to the necessity of the situation and develop what can be done, not what can’t be.