he leader has to be adaptable. He must change according to the environment and challenges of the time.
We all know that COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a paradigm change in our world. More so in our workplace needs, and habits.
The three most important attributes or qualities that a leader must focus on can be explained by 3 letters: B C I. What do these represent?
- Letter B stands for Beliefs and values
- C stands for Creating line leaders
- I stands for Influencing
Now let me elaborate each of these three.
- Beliefs & Values
It necessary for the leader to infuse beliefs & values among the team members more than ever before. When people come to the office, they are working in an environment which ensures that focus is on work. However, when they work from home that is not possible. At home, distractions disturb them in spite of their effort against it. Therefore, cordial polite reminders of the leader’s Belief and the work-values will play a pivotal role in improving productivity.People who are not used to working from home have to be continuously motivated to maintain focus. So relying on beliefs and values help people maintaining focus when they work from home.
2. Create Line leaders
Secondly, it’s necessary for the leader to infuse leadership qualities among the team members. It means that the leader has to inspire team members to be more responsible and accountable. They should get full credit for what they do and there should be some kind of competitive spirit among team members in order that they can see themselves as stars. In other words it means that the leader is creating leaders; that the focus is not on exercising authority but only on creating more leaders. Since all are working from home each participant needs to think that he/she must take up leadership role himself or herself. This is the only way the productivity can be achieved in spite of the distractions of home working.
3. Influence instead of Instruction
Thirdly, it is necessary for the leader to influence his team members more than ever, rather than instructing them or advising them. Instruction or advice is okay when you are face to face. It’s okay when you are physically available to be monitored. However working from home does not allow face-to-face meetings. It gives a kind of weird independence to the person who works from home. Policing by the leader is never recommended but in the current scenario it is not even possible. So its necessary to inspire the team members to influence them to work with their own motivation. Your leadership is measured on a scale which has different parameters now. Understanding this the leader must become expert in influencing his team members to work to live up, to their own expectations.
Without doubt, in the new normal of Pandemic era, new principles of infusing beliefs, inspiring your people to emerge as mini leaders and relying on influencing more than instructing need to be adopted.
