Leaders! Your Role Has Changed!

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We now find ourselves in Week Two of Social Distancing due to Covid-19. Here is Surrey, like many of the other municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Area, things are looking (and feeling) more and more like a full on Lock Down. The seriousness of the situation is really starting to set in.

As a leader (albeit mid level) in my organization, I am very cognisant that my main role has changed. Up to now, My main responsibilities were to coach and develop high performing sales people. Now, I am convinced that the best thing that I can do for my people is to be a symbol of stability and comfort in these strange times. Lets face it, the reason Prime Minister Trudeau is on TV every morning at 8:00am Pacific is not to share "new information". We already have an endless supply of that. He is showing up everyday to reassure us that he is there and although the situation is very serious, if we stay the course, everything will be ok. In short, he is comforting us.

Regardless of the size of the organization(s) we are part of, I believe the best thing we can do for those in our charge is to reach out (voice call, not text) and check in to see how they and their family are feeling and making out. I have made the conscious decision to not talk shop unless A.) They bring it up and B.) I have something very critical to share. It is amazing how some folks who, in the past, were very brief with their phone calls, do not seem to want to get off the phone. Let them talk, it is therapy.

There are not many times in our careers where we get the opportunity to practice real leadership. This is definitely one of those times where we can really make a difference in people's lives. Let's not waste that opportunity.

To close, Let's not forget that as leaders, we need to identify our own "Lighthouses" of comfort and reassurance. It could be a parent, relative, manager or friend. The point is, if we expect ourselves to be there for our people, we have to have someone/something to lean on ourselves.

Be safe out there!