Rethinking leadership: Adapting to the 'new normal'

We’ve all heard the conversations.

As there finally seems to be some light at the end of this darkest of tunnels, the talk of ‘returning to normal’ has grown and grown.

But let me be blunt with you.

The old world has gone. Things will never return to the way they were.

So, for anyone in a position of leadership, the challenge is not how to steer the ship back into old familiar waters, but to navigate a course towards the new horizons that are opening up.

Let’s start with some good news. There is much to be positive about in the way we have responded to the Covid crisis. We have been challenged in a way we could not have expected, and we have largely found answers.

Overcoming Covid-19 challenges

Think of the changes we have helped introduce in the last 12 months. Almost overnight many of us successfully switched our staff to working from home, with all the emotional and technological implications that brings. We’ve implemented the furlough scheme with almost no notice. We’ve evolved our internal communications and HR and personnel functions to combat the isolation and sense of detachment that comes with homeworking. As businesses, we’ve overcome the most extreme cashflow issues and sometimes had the most difficult of conversations with our colleagues.

All of this came out of a clear blue sky. Nobody had planned for it, nobody predicted it, nobody was prepared. And yet we have adapted, done what we had to do and, by and large, come through it.

And the fundamental principles of good leadership are what have stood us in good stead throughout.

Here at FBC Manby Bowdler, as soon as the restrictions were introduced, we took the time to ensure that we communicated to the wider team just what our plans were. Good internal communication is an essential part of any business that wants to take their staff with them and build the sort of powerful team ethic that can overcome even the toughest of challenges.

As the full scale and implications of the lockdown started to become clear, we again needed to respond. Working with the wider leadership team, I had to look at which members of staff would be furloughed, ensure those individuals understood the reasons why and also set about re-forecasting our financial plans and communicating them.

Effective leadership principles

Again, the leadership principles we followed through this process were those that had served us well during more favourable times. We talked to all the staff involved, involved them where we could in the process, explained the reasons for the decisions we were taking and treated everyone in exactly the same manner.

Throughout the lockdown period, I have continued to be transparent with everyone. We’ve issued all staff with weekly financial performance communications, quarterly leadership calls that cover a wider range of measures such as client satisfaction, debtor position and what other actions we’ve taken to protect cash flow, and ultimately communicated our thoughts about the long-term future of the firm.