As we start to finally turn the corner on COVID and look forward to returning to some sense of “normalcy,” it’s natural to want to slip back into comfortable and familiar routines. But before you do that, watch Bobbie LaPorte’s March 29 “Your Best Next Move” video to learn how you can sustain the progress you have made as a leader—and apply what you’ve learned from the challenges of the past year.
How Leadership Lessons from COVID Can Help Your Success Moving Forward
Hi everyone, Bobbie LaPorte here again with my weekly tip for your Best Next Move – where I help you have more agency in your work, acknowledge your capacity to act, and see what you can do right now.
Does it feel to you like we have rounded the turn on recovering from the pandemic? It sure feels that way to me.
Over the last week, I’ve seen countless news stories about Covid cases decreasing while vaccinations are accelerating; major companies are announcing that they are reopening their offices; people are telling me about their vacation and travel plans for the summer. And my first Ironman race of the year in June in Hawaii was confirmed.
So while we will never return to what was “normal” before, it does feels like we are on the road to restoring some sense of “normalcy” to our daily lives.
There is no doubt that the last year has changed all of us. It is positive that we have changed some of our routines for the better; we have institutionalized new, positive ways of doing business and of working together and have built new self-awareness that has helped us see our humanity and connect with others in new ways.
But..there will still continue to be uncertainty and anxiety about the future. The challenge is that it is our nature to want to return to what is known and comfortable, what is easy and reasonable; and we can’t do that – nor should we.
As a leader – think about the ways you have grown personally and professionally; the deeper relationships you have formed with your team, colleagues and family; the new innovations you have implemented in your work and all the successes you have achieved during the last year of unrelenting challenge.
So how do you sustain all this progress and not slip back into autopilot… into our old habits and routines?
Here’s my tip:
At the beginning of each day, take one minute to look at your schedule for the day and pick one meeting or conversation where you can intentionally apply what you’ve learned over the last year: it could be listening more, or tapping into some new skill or talent you’ve discovered in one of your team members, or connecting with someone on a more personal level… or something else….just one minute to take one action. That is one step, one “best next move” that will help you amplify and sustain all the positive change you have created in the last year.
I want 2021 to be a year of momentum for you, one of possibility thinking where you take advantage of the agency, we sometimes forget we have.
That’s my tip for this week. I’ll see you next Monday; take care of yourselves!