Month: April 2020

He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. 

What is the food of the leader? It is knowledge. It is communication

It is an amazing time to be leading people and leading a business. Since lock down we have been working closely with CEO’s across New Zealand, several in Australia & also in the USA. Work at present consists of keeping our team connected whilst we work had to anticipate what our clients will need so as to stay ahead of them. We have just run a webinar & panel which was well attended entitled “Leading in Lockdown”and you can download the video here. There is also a useful panel discussion at the end of it.

Many times a day I am asked how others are dealing with it, what am I seeing across industries. This morning we spent some time as a team reflecting on what we are seeing from our clients across a range of industries. In no particular order here is what we are seeing so far;

1. Some are reflecting that they are glad this has happened now and not two years ago, before they invested in their exec team and strategy. Their culture of action is holding them in good stead to quickly pivot.
2. Having tight exec team and clarity (team rules/norms) on how they operate is valuable.
3. All are wanting to know how others are coping and dealing with the issues. There has been massive value in sharing ideas and connecting people.
4. CEO’s value someone to talk to and just bounce ideas. It is a lonely space & they want to make sure they have not missed anything.
5. All have quickly responded to the crisis and now are re-orientating to the future and how they will lead through the restart. The restart scenarios are slowly becoming clear and teams are starting to work through and model what this might look like.
6. Many reflect that they won’t go back to the way they operated. The world has changed and there is more understanding of virtual tools for meetings, learning, training and less travel. Even the tech dinosaurs have had to change & adapt!
7. Some CEO’s reflect that this has been a great catalyst for advancing culture change & structuring work productivity in new ways. Prior to this there was resistance and now it just “roll up the sleeves & crack on”.
8. No one has lead in this situation before despite what the “experts” may portray. Therefore there has been real value in reflecting on the Global Financial Crisis & for Canterbury based businesses the lessons learnt from the earthquakes. This has provided confidence and allowed them to understand their business is resilient and they can lead through it.
9. Some industries are really doing it tough: Hospitality, accommodation, retail, travel etc. They are feeling for their staff and are working hard to find options.
10. Some CEO’s who have previously delayed hard calls around succession or structures are now faced with some really tough situations and decisions what will impact a lot of their people and in some cases the viability of their business.
11. Those leading are empathetic and genuinely seeking to look after people in the first instance. They want to do the right thing.
12. Sharing good & timely practical information has been valued as they work through the challenges they face. Using video updates, live all of team calls, e-mails etc has been really valued by staff. Just checking in on them and their families means a lot.

It is a time to over communicate via the platforms available and to communicate directly with staff. As we now reorientate to the future there will be opportunities and different challenges. It is a time to lead and inspire those we lead but remember as a leader you make the impact. You must look after yourself, keep fit, worry only about what you can control, connect with family, friends and mentors often & have some fun.