Turn up the Volume on Post-Pandemic Leadership

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that no matter who we are or where we come from, all of us struggling with something (or many somethings). Many times (especially in the past few years) our struggles apparent - on the surface and ready for us to digest. Just as often, however, they lie just beneath a facade of infallibility. It behooves us to remember that no matter how successful, wealthy, famous, or influential a person gets, there’s a struggle in there somewhere.

This, of course, includes those in leadership. Leaders are generally under enormous amounts of stress, and it is imperative that support networks are there to be relied upon. In a new article from Kellogg Insight, Clinical Professor of Leadership Harry Kraemer intends to provide that support. He recognizes that it is difficult to lead at this present moment, and offers some tips on how to adapt to this new climate. No changes are necessary, he says, just “turn up the volume” on what any good leader already knows. Read up and watch the companion video to turn the leadership game up a notch.

WFH Doesn't Have to Mean All-Day Calls

As we enter the 11th month of many of the COVID pandemic in the U.S., many of us are still working from home (WFH). Slowly but surely, we are all coming around to the realization that we can generally maintain a fairly high level of productivity despite our remote locations. Many employers, in order to compensate for a decentralized workforce, have encouraged employees to stick to working normal business hours. One way to maintain these hours is the various video calls employees join daily, sometimes taking up the entire workday. Trying to keep these hours while dealing with competeing requests (from children, spouses, a household, balancing health & wellness, etc.), begs the question: does it really make sense to stick to the normal 9-to-5? The answer seems to be no.

This past fall, Marco Minervini, Darren Murph, and Phanish Puranam of Harvard Business Review looked to the example of GitLab to explore this question. GitLab has been going strong for 6 years, with a 100% remote workforce, and they are a fascinating example of how to navigate the peaks and valleys of this model. With over 1,300 employees spread over 65 countries, GitLab uses tools that allow team members to work on ongoing projects in their own preferred times. This can (and has) increased aggregate productivity, but simultaneously provides coordination challenges across physical space and time zones.

As they say; “Working from home in an effective way goes beyond just giving employees a laptop and a Zoom account.” Check out their in-depth and fascinating article that details how GitLab has successfully run this model for over six years, and how other C-suite leaders and business owners can move away from the regular 9-5 grind.

Our Own "Hail Mary"

In most of our favorite, guilty-pleasure disaster movies, each hero has a “Hail Mary” moment in which he or she makes a daring breakthrough that saves the day. In real life, and especially during this pandemic, we must take comfort in all of us making small changes that will lead to an ultimate victory. It is natural to find hope in news (or rumors) of medical breakthroughs (Remdesivir, the Oxford or Moderna Vaccine projects which hold promise, and false alarms like hydroxychloroquine).   But, real advancements take time and are hard to predict.  The belief that our own “Hail Mary” moment is imminent can seduce us into letting our guard down.

As many states start to re-open, a recent short HBR Blog post warns the “all-or-nothing approach…. makes for great theater. It does not, however, bear much resemblance to how actual big problems are solved… Big problems typically get tackled through a series of small solutions, each of which on its own may not seem particularly important, but that together can have a huge impact.”

A wise executive once said that “good management is consistent pressure, relentlessly applied”. Take a minute to reflect on why “we shouldn’t wait for a breakthrough in the Covid-19 Pandemic”, and what we should do in the meantime to help assure one.

Innovation vs. Coronavirus

Few people have had a greater impact on the tools we use in our jobs than Microsoft founder Bill Gates.  After retiring from Microsoft, he has deployed millions of dollars through the Gates Foundation into fighting disease in developing countries.  Several years ago in a TED talk he warned about the challenge of a pandemic. He’s now backing up his warning with the recent major investments he has made to produce a vaccine to fight COVID-19.

Mr. Gates has a new post on his blog that is worth your time to increase your Corona IQ. Check out “Innovation vs The Coronavirus: The First Modern Pandemic.”  At 13 pages it’s a long read (you can download the pdf) but worth the time.  If you’re short on time, he has graciously published an executive summary of the longer article in the Washington Post.