Learning Is a Trait for a Game-Changer

During their careers, most people will encounter several leadership archetypes.

   There are caretakers, who go about doing things the way they’ve been done in the past. They embrace the status quo. They live by the status quo. In some cases, this is OK as long as the status quo works and the job gets done.

   There are managerial leaders, who focus on managing by the numbers. This is comparable to the managing-by-metrics approach that remains popular in baseball. It also is OK, as long as the game doesn’t change.

   Unfortunately, the pandemic was a game changer—revealing a need for leaders who could understand, learn and adapt.

   One of the first duties of a leader facing a surprising event is to determine what the actual threat is—and can’t be afraid that this may be a bit of a learning process.

   Remember those early days after the coronavirus arrived in North America, when a few weeks of quarantine was going to halt it in its tracks? Some leaders looked at it and thought about the effects of a multi-week shutdown. Some thought about how it would make their numbers look bad. Others started looking and what would need to be done, if it didn’t work.

   It didn’t work.

   So how did that third group of leaders engage the possibilities during that initial period. Many looked at what would happen to their teams—(1) what sort of support did the people need, and (2) what opportunities were present in case the situation lingered.

   Operations pivoted.

   Remote work processes were formulated by turning to the IT experts and team members to work the problem and find solutions. Not every leader knows every bit and byte about technology, so they turned to the experts—they knew their team and listened to their experts to make informed decisions.

   Businesses that relied upon on-site customers found ways to engage in contactless pickups and deliveries. Many created plans to enhance on-site risk mitigation, getting a step ahead for the day when people would resume in-person activities.

   I’m proud that my roles have helped many in-person activities to be restored, and humbled by the ingenuity shown by so many partner organizations, clients and team members during trying times.

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