The Changing Dimension of Leadership Failure & Success in the New Normal

Business leadership must go through an exponential change if an organization dares to survive under the looming shadow of the pandemic. Even though leaders are used to change, the last couple of years have truly tested your patience as the pace of change has picked up.

Due to this, the fundamental laws of success have altered and are now split between the pre-pandemic and the post-pandemic era. Sure, many dictums from the pre-pandemic era are still viable for successful leadership in the new normal. But, a host of novel fundamentals, with the novel virus, have also come to light.

What are these? Keep reading to find out!

The Three Fundamentals for Business Leaders in the New Normal

Here is the trifecta of norms business leaders must follow to adapt to the new normal.

Grow More leaders

The one key fundamental that remains unchanged throughout the transition from the pre-pandemic era to the post-pandemic era is that “leaders have to grow leaders.”

Now, on your journey to become a leader, it’s all about your talent and accomplishments, be it in sales, operations, or marketing, that help you climb up the ranks. However, expectations change once you become a leader and are awarded your C-suite title.

Nobody is saying that you must not fulfill your previous responsibilities, but now you’re also required to groom more leaders. Unfortunately, this responsibility is harder to fulfill in the post-pandemic era, where there’s a negligible physical presence, and all your subordinates with leadership potential are working remotely.

And, this is why you absolutely must cultivate the skill of moderating routine meetings on virtual platforms like Google Meets or Zoom. Know that only by growing more leaders can you evolve as a better business leader.

Fret not! Ensuring that a wrung of potential leaders end up like you, or perhaps better than you, won’t dilute your position. In fact, it will only elevate your status quo and help your company grow leaps and bounds. After all, who’s better than a business leader? A leader maker, of course!

To achieve this feat, present your leadership team with unique challenges and demand excellence from them. Teach them not to be okay with accepting subpar work from their subordinates. Remember, at this point, you’re not just a C-suite or someone in a leadership role. You’re also a coach and a mentor for potential leaders.

Re-examine Workplace Behavior

It’s common for business leaders not to show any vulnerability, hide their fears, and always feel like they must have all the answers. Do you have evidence for this belief? I recommend re-evaluating your behavior, especially in the post-pandemic world.

Know that many of your subordinates would be reeling from the effects of the pandemic themselves. So, instead of going about work, as usual, slow down, establish a personal connection if there’s scope, and turn to them for answers for work-related challenges. Not only will this lend a sense of ownership to your leadership team, but it will also boost their trust in you.

Commit to Self-care

Given your plate is always full of challenges and responsibilities, more so with the pandemic, you must take time off for self-care. And, not just yours, but also your employees’! Be a tad more lenient with leaves, especially if your team member has a family member sick with coronavirus.

Arrange for free therapy sessions for anyone within your organization, including yourself. Taking such proactive measures will restore peace and reduce stress within your organization. All of which will ultimately keep the workplace morale high and boost productivity. Both these qualities are critical, especially with the pandemic leeching all life out of individuals, and therefore organizations.

Before You Go

Navigating through these tough times that seem to bring exponential changes is the quintessential test of robust leadership. Therefore, to survive, and more importantly, thrive, you must evolve, keeping the three fundamentals listed above in mind.

Look at this tough scenario as a golden opportunity to learn and adapt. After all, this is the time to assess your true capacity for change.

So, commit to the new normal by reassessing your well-worn assumptions and definitions of what a leader should do.