For Such a Time as This – Part 4
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

Today I will wrap up my For Such a Time as This series. It seems like we have traveled a long journey together. Five weeks ago, I began to write about COVID-19 and, to be honest, I think we are all ready to move on. I just wish it was that easy, but the effects of this deadly virus will remain with us forever, and that’s not all bad. Before you think I have gone entirely off the deep end, there are some very good things that we may have experienced as we traveled through these past several weeks. I intentionally used the phrase may have as opposed to have experienced. We all traveled the same road, but not all of us experienced the good. We missed it because we were overwhelmed and consumed by all of the negativity and fearmongering that the media has spewed 24/7 since the crisis began. If you were like me and spent too much time occupied with the “current event” do not despair, there is still time to find the good. So, let’s get started.

Over the last three weeks, we walked through nine steps:

1. Make the shift
2. Determine how this crisis will make you better
3. Determine how you will use this crisis to help others
4. Communicate judiciously, more than continually
5. Come along-side your team
6. Help each team member move to a positive life stance
7. Consider optimism versus positivity
8. Move from a state of reaction to a state of creativity
9. Rapid growth

I chose each step carefully and listed them in sequential order because they lead us on a journey from fear to opportunity and amazing growth. As I mentioned last week, this journey may not always be linear. There will be times when we will need to go back and retrace some steps. Steps one through three are for us as we lead others. Steps four through nine are focused on our families or teams. We will have days when we need to get ourselves back on track, or we may need to help one or more team members process through a fear that has surfaced. Once we, or they, have regained perspective, it’s time to get moving again—creating the new normal. This process is an opportunity in strengthening our organization and the relationships we have with our teams.

Let me share an example. How many of you have found the need for video conferencing? I think this will become part of our new normal. Why spend hours in our vehicles traveling to meetings that can occur virtually? There is the old saying “time is money,” but I have a different version: time is opportunity. I can find a way to earn more money, but opportunity is priceless. Think of the opportunities you might have if you didn’t need to travel as much. Please don’t think that I am saying we should stop meeting face to face entirely. Believe me when I say that I can’t wait until I can begin interacting with people again, but we did learn some new things, and they are pretty great.

If you would like to explore new opportunities that have surfaced over the last several weeks, please join Marisa Norcross and me for Episode 149 of The Next Page podcast as we chat about our time in quarantine and what opportunities we have seen spring up.

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