Heroes are born in hardship, says a Macedonian folk proverb. In this time of severe pandemic with COVID-19, a major health crisis, as well as uncertainty in business, it is more important than ever to step up leadership. This is especially true for small and medium-sized enterprises that do not have large management and corporate structures, but must adapt quickly to new conditions. Leading companies through difficult times, cooperation with employees and partners is key to successfully overcoming the crisis, which as always brings its own opportunities.

Professor Arthur Langer of Columbia University who is the academic director of Executive M.S. in the Technology Management program, says management is a science, but leadership is acquired and learned.

Be open to communication and information sharing

Increasing news consumption and information seeking are common psychological reactions to the crisis. Globally, we see governments holding daily briefings for the media and increasing information sharing. It is also important that business leaders increase the amount of information they share with the public. You need to increase the number of "checks" on your team, ie increase the communication and exchange of information and ideas, especially for companies that have decided to work from home or remotely. Even if you do not have new information to share, sometimes simply "hello" can be very useful because the spontaneous moments of meetings in the office are now left out or are limited.

Be clear and calm

There are many legitimate reasons for business leaders to feel cautious in this unprecedented time, but it is important to give hope to employees who may feel lost. Try not to overload yourself too much and stay as positive as possible, and of course realistic about the current situation. People like you as a leader will be looking for signals about a situation that is constantly changing. Be strong, but be honest and always authentic.

The skills needed to successfully perform a leadership function, such as emotional intelligence, can be learned and practiced on a daily basis. Good leaders need to know that every employee under their management is unique and can recognize how to communicate with each person to increase efficiency, productivity and satisfaction.

Be flexible

Leaders need to adapt to unforeseen challenges with great agility, as well as learn quickly and efficiently from new situations. Leadership is a timeless skill that has been put to the test now more than ever before. Whether you're running a team of 15 or 1,500 employees, the crisis has widened the boundaries of our jobs and required every professional to think "out of the box." If businesses are to thrive in the coming weeks and months, they need to follow their lead and reconsider what it means to be an effective leader.

Source: entrepreneur.com