Three ways leading from home is changing how leaders show up
Photo by Standsome Worklifestyle on Unsplash
We didn’t expect this. For years leaders wrestled with the question of whether remote work could be as productive as in-office work. Then suddenly none of that wrestling mattered at all. We lost the privilege of choosing whether it was ok to work remotely or not. The pandemic sent us home with laptops and home offices and we figured it out. Leaders everywhere were stunned by what happened next: We were more productive than when we’d been in the office.
In the last year I’ve sat with many leaders and teams as they navigated this uncertain and unsettling time. Productivity aside, I’m witnessing stunning changes in leaders themselves. Across the executives that I coach weekly, there are three common themes I’m seeing.
Leaders want to be aware of individual circumstances.
Before the pandemic it was acceptable for leaders to expect their employees to deal with life issues without interrupting their work responsibilities. That expectation is not ok anymore. Closed schools and child-care facilities, closed offices, closed gyms and restaurants – all of this has impacted people differently. Employees without small children have a very different home working environment than those with small children. The same is true for people dealing with illness or caring for a sick family member. Or for employees without high-speed broadband Internet access at their home.
I see leaders recognizing and acknowledging for the first time that an employee’s individual circumstances matter because every employee is having a different experience. We’ve lost the support that helped level the playing field for most people, and now one-size-fits-all work expectations don’t fit anyone. This is related to my next observation.
Empathy is coming more naturally to leaders.
Increased productivity is coming at a cost. Employees are suffering from burnout, struggling to keep up with the pace they unwittingly set for themselves in the earliest days of the pandemic. Leaders are more aware of the risk of burnout than they have been in the past, and many are dialing up their empathy in an appropriate and natural response.
In my work with executives, some are tasked with learning to become more empathetic with the people around them. Others are naturally skilled at being empathetic and our work together focuses on developing other skills. For both groups, the last year has brought empathy to the fore. Those who are developing this skill have found it easier and more natural to step into the feelings of another person. Those we are already skilled in this area are able to lean more heavily on this natural ability to lead effectively through this challenging time.
Introvert leaders and extrovert leaders are having different pandemic experiences.
For the first time in modern history, people who are more comfortable being around others, talking, sharing, directing, and broadcasting are unable to indulge this comfort. Also for the first time in modern history, people who work better in a quiet, uninterrupted setting, and who don’t care for show, are flourishing. This is the case for employees and leaders alike.
It’s clear to me that leaders who lean naturally toward extrovert behavior are struggling more with the changes of the pandemic. These leaders feel most accomplished and certain of their path when they are around others. An all-hands video call just doesn’t have the same energy as an all-hands in-person meeting. It’s also worth noting that the dominant expectation of leaders is that they operate more like extroverts.
Leaders who lean naturally toward introvert behavior, however, are thriving in this work-from-home environment. They have the time and space for thinking that they need, separation physically from other people, and control of their engagements with other people. Before the pandemic I worked with these leaders to develop presence, confidence, and assertiveness. Now their naturally more thoughtful, reflective, deliberate natures are serving them better as leaders in a remote environment.
What’s going to happen?
It’s the question nobody can answer right now. Leadership styles must adapt to the environments we find ourselves in. The current state of the pandemic is testing everyone’s ability to adjust to the moment. Seeing more awareness and empathy from leaders is a bright spot in leadership development and might predict more positive changes to come.
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