We’ve Made it!

Welcome to the second half of 2020! We made it. It’s all downhill from here…. Right? Okay, so maybe the phrase “What could possibly happen next?” has crept into your vocabulary once or twice, or “It can’t get any worse… can it?!” As I look back over the past six months, I agree. This has, personally and professionally, been quite a challenging season of life. And I’m pretty sure many of you feel the same. I am incredulous at the pivots life has taken – school, career, travel, even the way we shop for groceries has changed. The old “comfortable” way of doing things is gone. Everything is now just uncomfortable. But I admit, personally, that a small piece of me is excited about these changes. Getting out of that old, comfortable “rut” is bringing some thrill and enthusiasm to the way we do things. There is some HOPE for what the next half of 2020 will bring. And, while a pandemic, quarantine, and COVID-19 testing wasn’t at all an expected change on the radar six months ago… Now that we’re here, it’s important to remember that change is GOOD! And change brings GROWTH! Think about what you can do as a leader to support new change and growth to better position your organization for success.

Those of you who have been following DCSI for the last several years are likely familiar with our popular Leadership Series Courses. Hopefully you have even graduated from a series or two! As a facilitator, I have always touted that the personal connections the participants make in those live sessions are the key to its success. I see participants light up when they work with a group of peers from other organizations who understand their same challenges, and the fire is fueled when they work through the issue and generate problem-solving solutions. The group dynamics are amazing. So, I admit that, when COVID prompted us to discontinue live sessions, I was disheartened. How could this course be successful in a virtual format? But then, the wheels started turning. This course COULD be done in a virtual format. It’s a perfect time to motivate leaders who are working from home, feeling isolated, or discouraged with todays’ challenges. And now, Zoom is just another part of the norm…. breakout rooms will work. And.. thinking even deeper, what a great way to involve non-local participants. Not just those in sunny NE Florida. This was not a foreseen change….but look at the positives that are born.

I am constantly in awe of the leadership lessons born out of this pandemic. Most of them involve leaders seizing an opportunity to use unexpected change to the advantage of the company. Think of all the producers who nimbly pivoted from making their own product to producing masks and protective gear. Win! I heard a great story recently about a CEO who had previously said his organization will never work remotely on a permanent basis. Just a few weeks into the pandemic, he sat on a Zoom call, child on his lap, and admitted that he was wrong and productivity was at an all-high.

Think for a moment about how change opportunities are presenting themselves to you. Take advantage of these situations to prove that you are a Change Agent for your company. Be the leader that focuses on the positive outcomes of this pandemic. Rally your team to adapt with a spirit of excitement. If you need some help with becoming a Change Agent, check out our next GO LEAD session on July 31st “Change Management”  to learn tips on becoming that driving force.

And, if you’d like to join me in transforming DCSI’s popular Leadership Series into its inaugural remote format, classes start in September.