Successful Leadership Skills during a Crisis

Successful leadership skills during a crisis will help you lead the way and catapult your company.

“Flexibility is the only true security.” What a great quotation for times like this!

Why strategic leadership is more important than ever

I first learned of this quotation from Paula Pant. Paula is a businesswoman, podcast host, writer, speaker, and media commentator on financial independence and real estate investing. She credits the quotation to J.L. Collins. While Ms. Pant and Mr. Collins were applying this principle to the world of personal finance, it’s especially true for anyone who is in a role of leadership during the uncertain times created by COVID-19. To say the least, things are topsy turvy!

I bring up the statement to illustrate why strategic leadership wins every time over working management. In the past few blog posts, we’ve been in a conversation about how important it is to stay in the...

Leadership vs. Working Management

I believe strongly that if you want to accomplish more as a leader, you need to operate in the zone of leadership vs. working management, sometimes called in-the-weeds management. If you find that day-to-day project tasks and operational issues occupy a lot of your valuable time, energy, attention, and focus, you’re probably stuck in the weeds. Maybe you’re struggling with that right now. If so, you’re not alone. I see a trend of leaders who tend to get stuck in the weeds. They do rather than delegate.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate leadership vs. working management. Coach McQuiston is a friend’s neighbor and a high school basketball coach. On any given winter evening, he can be found on the sidelines of the high school gym, shouting to the players of his varsity team. He’s worked with those players all season during grueling practice sessions, and he knows the strengths and weaknesses of each player. Maybe...

What key drivers of employee engagement can be a force multiplier in improving employee productivity, loyalty, and satisfaction? What can make a team member go above and beyond the call of duty? The answer to these questions is anything that addresses the critical area of improving work/life balance.

Key drivers of employee engagement

Think of a strong commitment to a work/life balance as being the gift that keeps on giving—for your team and for you. I’ve mentioned several times in this series on employee engagement just how valuable an asset your people are. Your commitment to a well thought out and carefully delivered work/life balance puts the spotlight on them. This is where you get to show your team how much you value them as people.

It’s easy to imagine how a work/life balance is good for your employee, but you may be questioning how a commitment to this key driver of employee engagement benefits you, the company leader. An international survey representing...