We saw an incredible amount of innovation and agility by individuals as both leaders and team members merged their home and work lives like never before. Flexible, agile, and empathetic leadership allowed organizations to navigate uncharted waters successfully. We know we are not alone when we say that the pandemic presented us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, teaching us some humbling lessons that we will carry with us for years to come. 

If 2020 Was a Teacher, It Taught Us Well.

Looking back, the past year put us all to the test, quite literally. It made us learn and unlearn, and to be honest, it taught us lessons that we had been putting off for later. As we get ready to leave 2020 behind and step forward into the new year, let us take a moment to reflect on what we have learned from our highs and lows.

Transparency Will Triumph

Among many things, this crisis has reinforced the importance of transparency. As difficult as it may be, leaders must always communicate challenges with utmost honesty and authenticity. This becomes all the more crucial in the face of uncertainties where many employees would find themselves struggling to buy into the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ narrative. By now, it is abundantly clear that a transparent work-environment helps put anxious team members at ease and creates a foundation of trust.

Find Your Opportunity

If 2020 gave us an unprecedented crisis, it also taught us the importance of seeking out the hidden opportunities. In a matter of months, we saw leaders develop creative ways to serve their clients and those they lead, we saw businesses shift to 100% remote models, and innovating in a way that had never been seen before. 2020 not only made us think outside the box but redefine the box itself!

Wear Someone Else’s Shoes

A big leadership lesson from 2020 has been the importance of empathy. Never before has it been so critical to pause and examine how communication is being received. To effectively engage with their team members, leaders need to spend time in their shoes. This means fostering genuine sensitivity, listening to them, acknowledging their fears, challenges, and the reality of blurry boundaries between personal and professional lives.

Do Not Get Comfortable

Almost overnight, we were plucked from our comfort zones and placed far, far away from it. A necessary reminder that rapid change is the only certainty. In a world that is shifting shapes and sizes every day, there is no room for complacency. Adopting technology, ‘going digital’, creating a culture of innovation - these words are no longer in the future, they are our reality. Leaders who understand this are the ones surging ahead, making the most of this crisis.

Embrace the Future of Work

The pandemic triggered into action a new way of working - one that we often spoke of but did not implement - a hybrid working culture. With more and more employees demanding flexibility in their workplace, building a robust hybrid working environment became immensely important. It is not just about remote working but also about focusing on outcome-based working. Defining expected results instead of placing importance on the number of hours spent will drive better productivity, increase employee satisfaction, and act as a catalyst for digital transformation.

So, what is next?

“Let's go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.” - Steve Jobs

We are stepping into the new year with the knowledge that there may be no going back to the pre-pandemic ‘normalcy’, but does that have to be a bad thing? By applying the lessons learned from 2020, leaders can focus on creating a stronger future, taking on everything that 2021 has to offer.

What lessons will you be carrying into the new year?