As we continue the Covid-19 marathon pandemic, I sat down with Zenia Wadhwani, Director of Corporate Citizenship at Woodbine Entertainment, to explore how we can find inspiration in the middle of uncertainty and what we can do to prepare for the year ahead (when it’s impossible to prepare). You can watch a replay of our conversation here and here were my Top 3 takeaways:
1) Shift Your Mindset from I Can’t to I Can
The pandemic has taken away a lot of items from individuals personal bucket lists this year. It can be easy to be despondent over what you can’t do: the big milestone trip, that long-planned family celebration, the simple pleasures of hanging out with friends sans masks! By shifting your focus to what you can do, you place your energy in a more positive direction and have the possibility to unearth ideas and dreams that you might have long since buried.
2) Meet People Where They Are
One of the things we’ve lost as many of us have transitioned to home offices is the informal social connections that bring meaning to our workplaces. As the pandemic continues, leaders need to leverage empathy and listening to understand what their team needs to bridge the social isolation gap. Whether it’s informal team time, building in personal check-ins at team meetings or creating space for 1:1 conversations, leaders need to provide a varied approach that meets people where they are TODAY.
3) Don’t Waste a Good Pandemic
For Zenia, the pandemic allowed her to tap into a creative side that had been dormant for years. The result: the publishing of her first children’s book Twas The Night Before Diwali. What is lying dormant in you that this powerful pause can unleash? Taking time to reflect on how you can look back on this chapter in your life with a sense of accomplishment is something for all of us to ponder. That accomplishment need not be the publishing of a book but even remembering and doing the simple things that bring you joy.
As with all our Ask the Expert conversations, there was so much more. Learn more about Zenia’s book ‘Twas The Night Before Diwali and be sure to share these tips with others on your team that may find them helpful.
Join me on January 26th for our next Ask the Expert session with broadcaster turned author Riaz Meghji where we dive into his book Every Conversation Counts. Register here.
And be sure to reach out if we can:
- Help your leaders build high performance teams
- Help you create an accountable/results-focused culture
- Help your leaders navigate change, disruption and growth
All our programs are currently being delivered virtually.
PS – Don’t forgot to grab a copy of my new book The Grassroots Leadership Revolution to get tips on managing your career and building a network of support
Happy leading!
