Innovating Leadership:
Co-Creating Our Future

Episode Content:

Building Trust in Uncertainty: A Personal & Professional Journey

This blog is a guest post from Rita Jordan, focusing on overcoming business challenges during difficult times. It supports Mary Jo Burchard’s podcast Building Trust in Uncertainty: A Personal & Professional Journey as part of the International Leadership Association series.

The pandemic has brought a lot of challenges that businesses need to overcome — from disruptions in supply chain operations to remote working policies. A report from the World Economic Forum even highlights some major business apprehensions, including:

• Remote work’s impact on productivity
• Employee morale
• An increasing reliance on technology

And even once the pandemic ends, these concerns will remain. To overcome these challenges and even thrive despite them, leaders need to step up. But what kind of leadership will the post-pandemic world need?

You need to empathize

The pandemic has been a great threat to your employees’ wellbeing, whether that’s their physical or mental health. True enough, recent studies show that at least 34% of professionals in the country admit to feeling more burned out than usual. The uncertainties brought by the pandemic will continue to persist even when the worse is over. After all, who’s to say another year like 2020 won’t arrive?

That said, a post-pandemic leader knows how to make decisions while showing empathy. For example, if your team members are not feeling well, convince them to take a sick day. Offer assistance when they ask for it. If you can check in on them at least once a week, that would help, too.

You need to trust your team

Contrary to initial worries, remote working policies have been very beneficial for employee productivity. In fact, 67% of employees testify to getting more work done at home. As such, remote work will persist even after the pandemic.

But for a permanent remote setup to work, you need to be a leader that trusts their team. For instance, if you’re an operations manager, resist the urge to micromanage your employees to compensate for the distance. As one of the top careers in business administration, operations managers are the backbone of the company’s day-to-day operations. While overseeing teams is part of the responsibility, you should be more concerned about developing strategies to increase your department’s efficiency. The case is similar for sales managers, whose primary job is planning campaigns and not implementing them. Micromanaging in these instances will only cause unneeded stress.

Trust your team members to finish their tasks at their own pace, and be ready to guide them when needed. This not only empowers your individual team members, but it also lets you focus on what’s truly important.

You need to be tech-savvy

The pandemic may have accelerated its adoption, but digital transformation has been an increasingly crucial factor in the success of businesses.

For example, more customers are active online, which makes digital marketing an increasingly necessary part of your strategy. Office tools like CRM and AI can automate some of your processes, streamlining your operations. There’s even the advent of cloud technology, which lets you host data online. This can help you collaborate with your team much easier, which is especially useful in a time of remote work. Leaders need to know which technologies can help their teams or department function better.

If you want the business to thrive post-pandemic, you need to be a leader who’s willing to adapt. Learn how new technologies work and show your team extra attention. Circumstances may continue to be uncertain, but leaders know to cut through the noise and guide their teams to push past the fear.

To become a more innovative leader, you can begin by taking our free leadership assessments and then enrolling in our online leadership development program.

Check out the companion interview and past episodes of Innovating Leadership, Co-Creating Our Future, via iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible,  iHeartRADIO, and NPR One.  Stay up-to-date on new shows airing by following the Innovative Leadership Institute LinkedIn.

About the Author

Rita Jordan is a freelance writer and aspiring business owner, currently taking a Masters in marketing to fulfill said dream. She likes to read books and help her sister with art commissions when she has the time.