Stand

2020 has been full of COVID-19, curve balls, delays, remote work, remote school, virtual leadership, and in many cases chaos, yet you and your organization are still here.

You made it!Didn’t you?

Understandably, “making it” is subjective. After all, your world has been flipped upside down. All the things that you were comfortable with and have done for years, have now been altered. From parents who are carrying unprecedented responsibilities through virtual schooling, to companies operating 100% remote with no in-person interaction, we are definitely living inside the realm of “new norms”.

With no real end in sight to the drastic changes that we have faced, we must start answering the question: “How can my team and I truly thrive versus just go through the motions”? We often carry a sense of determination unknowingly in adversity. As humans and especially as thought leaders, we have an innate nature to survive and adapt through diverse experiences and challenges…even unprecedented challenges.

During this last month of 2020 you may be in a season of delay, but you haven't given up, you are here, and you “stood” through it all. Perseverance, through trying times and the complexities of life, is essential to your peace, performance, and bandwidth and it’s in you!

The benefits of your ability to stand firm are longterm. You have activated some major character-building assets in such a short period of time. 2020 has taken us all through unique processes and learning curves but surely, we have all learned some life lessons in unison!

We Know the Power of Adaptation

Being able to “go with the flow” saves you from a life of stress. Flexibility is key when experiencing hardship. No one knew that COVID-19 would have had such a drastic effect on our lives. We could not even fathom how much our daily living or quality of life would have been altered. In the slightest or drastic of decisions, we have been adaptable. No one enjoys wearing masks or being distant from family members. We are annoyed with multiple Zoom calls and read to grow and build our teams face to face. The list goes on and on. But we have adapted to these precautions for our safety. This goes for every area of our lives during this time. Going with the flow is like riding the “wave of life”. We could try to fight the changes, but it may only lead to disappointment and frustration.

It may sound contradicting, to stand and be flexible. However, it means your feet are planted and you still have the ability to maneuver. Yes, you should still be intentional and vigilant with your convictions and ideas. Nevertheless, it means opening our mindset to new ways of being, it comes from a sense of acceptance. Adapting to the various changes life throws at us makes for smoother transition. Adaptation is stabilization.

We Remember Our Why

When we are focusing on surviving or responding to something that is traumatic, we tend to forget things that are seemingly least important in the moment. One of the responses of fight or flight is that we forget details that are not deemed vital in that moment in time. It helps us focus on the full present response we need to make the decision that will help us to live. The only issue is that, when we are in difficult moments, we do not always turn the survival switch off. We lose sight of the truth. We forget. We must honor the process whilst also remembering the end goal of our destiny. Our ability to remember our “why” is the antidote to burn out and hopelessness. To stand with the consciousness of “why” will give you relief during the high-pressure moments.

We Stand. We Anticipate Going Forward

Now what? How do we better prepare for any future global issues? It's such an intricate reality to think about. How did you feel then in that moment when you heard that the world was literally shutting down? What was the first thing you thought about? Once you grappled over all of the safety measures you would take to keep your family safe, did you immoderately move on to decipher what does this mean for your team at work? How will you lead? How will you still capture your target market and goals? If we didn't learn anything, we learned that establishing our security for ourselves, families, and the organizations that we lead, are up to us. Safeguard is the magic word. We have all now been reminded of Murphy’s Law, Murphy's law that says, "things will go wrong in any given situation, if you give them a chance," or more commonly, "whatever can go wrong, will go wrong."

We must be ready. Having a system in place to succeed in virtual learning and virtual leadership and management is not just about a Pandemic, it’s about sustainability in a digital world. When we are equipped, we are prepared, proactive, and ready. As a result, stability is obtainable.

All you can do is stand. After the COVID-19 storm there will be another form of chaos to follow. This world is full of disruption. After we have done our due diligence to keep our minds healthy and our physical spaces equipped, we hold on to our plan of action and let faith and perseverance help us get through. You are more than capable of standing firm and keeping faith. You did it. You stood. Next year you will conquer.

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul…”- Thomas Carlyle