What people need from leaders right now, during this unprecedented time, is largely the same things that drive optimism and engagement during normal times: a clear path forward or Mission and assurance that their behaviors will help achieve that Mission.
According to Gallup there are two directions people take during times of crisis: helplessness and victimization – or – self-actualization and engagement. According to Gallup, if leaders provide a clear path forward, human beings are amazingly resilient. There is a documented “rally effect”.
Gallup should know. They studied global citizens’ worries, fears and confidence during nearly every major crisis of the past eight decades – including the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and World War II, the Kennedy assassination, upheavals and riots in the 1960’s, 9/11, the 2008 global financial crash, and now the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jim Harter, on behalf of Gallup, wrote a terrific article that provides additional insight and perspective, including tools to take a pulse survey to see how your team is feeling about your leadership during this monumental crisis.
The all-important question as to how to inspire people to passionately embrace a leader’s Mission and engage in behaviors to achieve that Mission is the subject of this blog and my book Fusion Leadership Unleashing The Movement of Monday Morning Enthusiasts. These concepts and the massive results that derive from their practice have never been more important than right now.
Wishing you and your families good health and happier times.