Dawn is closer than you think.
“The darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn."
- Thomas Fuller
It’s been a really long night. It seems it has been so very dark for many months. We’re fatigued. The threats to our physical, financial, mental, and relationship health have taken a toll on our organizations and us. And yet, we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of what feels like the toughest of a series of tough things.
At this same moment, there is a light. It is starting to peek over the horizon. We can see it if only we squint and strain our eyes. Vaccines are coming, and they are effective and safe. The government is (finally) pulling together to provide another round of sorely needed financial support. We've learned so much about how to keep ourselves personally safe. There will be a more “normal” time at some point in 2021. This pandemic will end. Every day is one day closer.
To put it nicely, 2020 has been challenging. It has also been a period of time full of opportunities to re-think and re-set how we do what we do. Perhaps it will serve as a transition year—a year of change.
It’s December, so let’s get ready for the transition of the calendar to 2021. Here are three ideas on how to get ready for the opportunity of the year ahead.
1. Hold a long-term optimistic view
“ Optimists believe bad events are only temporary”
If you've ever worked alongside someone who only sees the downsides in every opportunity or believes everything is about to come crashing down, you know how difficult it can be to be at your best. As a leader, how you show up right now has a big impact on your team and the organization. This is a critical time to be optimistic about the future.
Here are some quick suggestions on how to bring more optimism to those you lead:
Speak with optimism and promote it on your teams while continuing to tell the truth: Be the role model. This is when your team can use it the most. You don’t have to be Pollyanna about it. Acknowledge the challenges and share optimism for the future.
Be flexible to adapt to changing needs: none of us can predict what 2021 will look like. If we have learned nothing from 2020, it is that we are very bad at predicting the future! Instead, how can you demonstrate more of a ‘go with the flow’ approach? You have exercised a great deal of flexibility this year. How can you bring that flexibility with you into 2021?
Identify what success looks like and track outcomes: success may look very different right now than before the pandemic. Identify what success looks like and write it down. Revisit it weekly and track the outcomes.
2. Build and strengthen resilience
“Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity…”
2020 was full of opportunities to adapt. I’ve built resilience by learning to do things differently. I used to believe there were certain kinds of leadership development I could only do in person. This year, I found ways to adapt to facilitate virtually in a way that maintained high-quality standards. (I still miss being in person, btw!)
Another key to building resilience is to ensure we are taking the time to recharge our batteries. I've found that even a short walk in the evening through a park recharges me more than streaming my latest binge-worthy Netflix show.
In what ways have you learned this year, and how might that contribute to your future resilience?
Consider these questions:
What are the ways you’ve adapted this year?
How could you take what you’ve learned into the next year to strengthen your resilience further?
What are ways you could support your well-being as well as recharge?
3. Prepare for recovery
Recovery doesn’t start when the pandemic is “over.” Instead, recovery is happening gradually. This means it is happening right now, with all of the up and downs. The actions leaders take now create their future.
“In the recovery phase, leaders must strike a new balance between guiding a smooth return to normal while keeping up the pressure to renew and rethink the future.” HBR, Leading into the Post-Covid Recovery
Consider these questions: (Adapted from Awaken, Align, Accelerate: A Guide to Great Leadership &HBR, Leading into the Post-Covid Recovery)
What can you learn from how other organizations have handled the challenges this year?
What have you learned from the difficulties of this year?
How could you apply the lessons you’ve learned to how your organization operates in the future?
What do you, your team, or your organization need to change?
What is one thing you could do in the next 30 days to hold an optimistic view, build resilience, or prepare for recovery?
Here's an exercise for you to do right now.
Visualize yourself 30 days from today.
Reflect on what you did over these 30 days to maintain an optimistic view, build resilience, or prepare for recovery. What did you do?
Now, ask yourself: What is the most important thing you will do this month to make your visualization a reality?
Work with intention toward this most important thing. Set aside time on your calendar to spend time working towards it. Set an appointment with yourself one month from now to celebrate what you did.
The light of the new year is almost here. Bring the best version of you, your team, and your organization into it.