Crisis + Fear = Opportunity for Compassionate Leadership

It's been an interesting week...I hope you’ve managed to stock up on the essentials and please pray that whoever is supplying our friends at Netflix and Amazon Prime Video that they keep coming to work. :)

Also, I want to thank the many men and women in the health profession, public safety, military, and also the many people involved in transporting, stocking, selling, and providing the essentials we are all dependent on. They deserve our thanks as we navigate into these unknown waters.

All joking aside, when the day started, I was fearful because all of my clients were canceling appointments at an alarming rate. And I'm not an alarmist - 30 years in the law enforcement profession taught me that we will always find a solution, yet this time my very livelihood is at stake and it felt more personal. But it also occurred to me that despite my fears these are exactly the times where character, heart, and leadership are most needed.

Globally, things continue to change at an exponential rate, and I think we are many months away from seeing the full impact of the virus or understanding the implications of our responses and delays in responding. The health implications will be followed by financial implications for many, and then hopefully a mandate to be better prepared in the future before the urgency of the lesson is dulled by the passing of time. 

If fear takes over, we will devolve into an even more tribal version of ourselves than we have been in the past few years. Or this could be an opportunity for all of society to take a collective step towards each other and remember we are in this together - stop being so divisive and start really valuing and respecting each other once again. We need to learn to respect each others' differences, and learn to constructively disagree with one another in ways that add value and are not personal.

The choice is ours. What do we have control over? How do we change our attitudes about this situation and about each other in ways that could really benefit us collectively far beyond the end of this crisis?

Regardless of your personal, financial, or political status - you are a leader for someone and there are people around you who will partially form their attitude and confidence in the energy coming from you. Some of them will be fearful, others will be frustrated, others will be greatly impacted financially or health-wise…just remember to treat them all with dignity and respect and work on building community with each other. It takes the combination of tasks AND relationships to build cohesive teams. Nobody wants crisis, but when we have the collective task of navigating unknown storms together, let's work on the relationships as we do. Start with your own attitude.

These are very uncertain times and when you think about what people need and value (Maslow) we are talking about the lowest levels of Maslow’s hierarchy = survival, safety, and security. That may change how people, peers, and leaders react to everything - be understanding that these are stressful times for many. We are often unaware of the burdens others carry with them. Start with compassion.

It’s easy to lead when things are normal. The strength of the ship’s hull is not tested in the calm port - but during the storms at sea. I’m hoping you don’t encounter too many storms, but when you do - look at them as opportunities to build cohesion because we are all in this trying to navigate it together! Uncertainty, fear, and anger - all are emotions that we may see more of (or be tempted to revert to ourselves). Keep in mind that the tough times are where people look to the leaders to help guide them through the craziness and your people will feed off of the emotions you project. Be smart, be prepared, be positive, be decisive, and most of all...be compassionate. Remember we are all part of the same community.

One of my favorite movie lines is from Remember the Titans and it comes during training camp as the team is struggling to overcome their individual differences and learn to respect each other and form a team: "Attitude reflects leadership, Captain!" Ask yourself if what you're doing is stoking fear and dividing us further, or are you moving the team forward towards a compassionate and collaborative solution? Model the leadership you want others to emulate. Be compassionate, look out for one another, and stay positive. We will survive this - what we have the most control over is how much we could gain if we do it correctly.

God Bless and Stay safe,

Dr. Dave Mather