Leadership Series | Be an inclusive leader during crisis

 

Since 2020 leaders all over the world have been under tremendous pressure. They are always expected to make quick decisions with rapidly evolving information. The pressure of working in a crisis mode is often difficult. Crisis always leads to stress which impacts physical and mental wellbeing. When in crisis employees always look forward to their leaders for empathy, stability, and advice. In such times, leadership matters more than ever. It is during this time that leaders must prioritize inclusion. Leaders should remember that to be truly innovative, input from all employees is a must-to-have.

So how do we get input from all employees in an organization? Yes, it is when the leaders use an inclusive leadership approach. Research shows that when organizations practice an inclusive leadership approach, their employees not only survive but thrive. They are more inclined to go that extra mile and openly share their thoughts and feel collaborated to achieve the organization’s goal. So, to be an inclusive leader, follow the below strategies:

Ensure that your remote employees have equal access to technology – Always remember that access to technology can make or break an employee’s productivity and connectivity with others. So the first step to being an inclusive leader is to give his/her people access to the right technology.

Make virtual meeting equitable – All employees are not comfortable talking or presenting during a virtual meet. So as a leader it is your responsibility to send supporting documents and collect input well in advance. Sending information in advance helps create opportunities for everyone to prepare and contribute. Closed captioning is especially crucial during webinars or presentations, so that everyone, can fully participate.

Begin meeting by acknowledging everyone – Make it a point to acknowledge an unprecedented situation. As a leader, you can always set the tone by sharing your own challenges or vulnerabilities. Your people will not only appreciate it but will also be able to connect with you.

Be empathetic – Check with your employees about them and their family members, be empathetic towards working parents. Try to give extra support by extending deadlines or giving a helping hand. Remember to show grace when children of any employee interrupt during any virtual meet.

Show compassion - This crisis is affecting everyone differently - show compassion & empathy if employees are sick or need to care for a sick person.

Be Reachable - During this pandemic, the majority of our workforce is working from home, and hence communicating with all is a challenge at times. In the office, we have an open-door policy, but at home people often found it difficult in the beginning to reach out for help. People needed advice on things like setting up the technology at home, or how to join zoom meetings or to get help on process-related questions.  That is when we as leaders must make ourselves reachable and approachable to our people during these tough times. Always ensure to set up various communication channels and be reachable for support.

Build trust & be transparent – It is a different situation when you are in office, your people can see you physically and reach out to you and talk to you in person for any concern. But when you are working remotely things are different. Some of your team members might feel disengaged, demotivated and even burnout. As leaders, you should always be around and communicate frequently with all your team members. Take time out every day to have general conversations with your team members, give them organizational updates and boost their morale. Always be transparent and ensure your team that you will be with them through thick and thin.

Blessing in Disguise – The year 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, but I believe that the year has taught us a lot. If you look back in 2019, many organizations like ours never thought of remote working, virtual team meetings, virtual training and so on. This new dimension of work culture came up overnight and within months we not only got exposed to new technology but also became tech-savvy. Again COVID-19 has also gifted us the precious time to be with our family and loved ones. People got an opportunity to save traveling time and be around with their families. Hence, I would say that 2020 was a year of learning for everybody – data management, virtual performance reviews, and so on. So, I would say that in a way the pandemic and the lockdown, has been a blessing for me and my team. 

Adopt these best practices and become an inclusive leader. Always remember that this crisis provides an opportunity to evaluate the structure of work and how organizational processes could be more inclusive to all employees, but especially those who may be dealing with significantly more challenges. In the current crises, we need to evolve as leaders and ignite an inner transformation that can sustain the work needed to support the entire world.