These are unprecedented times. Countries in a lockdown, untold numbers of people working from home, prevalent fear and uncertainty.
However, with crisis comes opportunity, a glimmer of hope, a spark of creativity.
Some organisations and industry sectors are experiencing surge in demand. Others are thinking out of the box to create value for stakeholders. Imperial College London has just pioneered the first digital exam for final year medical students. The BBC reports about companies in dire need of staff at this time! In my conversation with an entrepreneur, he mentioned the current situation has ‘’opened a new angle’’ to his business concept. Awesome!
What might this mean? Will the current climate accentuate ongoing Digital Transformation and accelerate disruptions of industries and business models? Thoughts are emerging suggesting a possibility of a further move away from brick and mortar model in retail. Perhaps working from home might be the default model for many organisations?
We may not have all the answers but we know that opportunity often show up as overalls – hard work. We also know that success comes when opportunity meets preparation’.
So what might the current situation mean for you? How might you prepare for future possibilities? How are you optimising the lockdown in order to move from lockdown to touch down and potentially from isolation to promotion?
Here are seven initial ideas, some of which might resonate with you more than others:
Determine to emerge stronger: Your resolve matters. Resolve to become stronger in your career, family or business; become stronger in your other life pursuits. One of my takeaways from years of working with a global management consulting firm was the audacious resolve to emerge stronger whenever crisis hit, and they did!
Stay ahead of the curve: Scan the horizon. Who is in need of your skills and capabilities? What ways can you connect with them? In what innovative ways can you create value for your stakeholders – now or in the near future?
Increase your Self-awareness: We are at our best when we are self-aware. Its been established that the most effective leaders are those who demonstrate a very keen sense of self-awareness. What’s the real you like? What untapped potentials do you possess? What interests or passions have been ignored for so long?
Take an action: Lockdown should not mean shutdown. Follow your curiosity. Explore your interests. Discover something new about your industry, organisation, clients or community. Learn something new - a new language, skill or capability. LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Khan Academy and others like them may come handy here. Take up an offer or challenge that has been pending for so long. Write that book.
Polish your Personal Brand: Audit your brand. Revisit feedback you have received from colleagues over the years and evaluate your progress against them. How are people experiencing you now? What else could you improve upon?
Build your resilience: Build your staying power for the now and future.
Serve your network: Be generous. Show empathy. Be greater than your challenges.
What additional ideas do you have?
