It’s without a doubt that COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our work life, causing disruption to the workforce and putting human resilience to the test.
The Covid pandemic has been a real test case for leadership, and with the uncertainty of the pandemic, this has led to leaders being pushed from pillar to post on decisions, often leading to missed opportunities, leaving employees feeling anxious due to lack of reassurance and support. A recent study found that 61% of workplace leaders had failed to recognise the signs of stress or burnout from employees, risking high staff turnover or low workplace productivity.
This is where conscious leadership comes in, by getting rid of old habits and putting more focus on employees. Now is the time to develop and inspire people to achieve great things in business. Read on to see how you can grow as a conscious leader.
Be Transparent with Your Employees
Employees don’t like unsuspecting surprises, and with the pandemic making people question whether their jobs are at stake, now it’s more important than ever for transparency within the workplace. A 2017 study showed that transparency between leaders and employees resulted in a more creative workforce.
Above all transparency builds trust and trust is absolutely essential for both a sense of security and creativity. Employees need transparency as to how the business is operating (whether it’s good or bad) so that they can plan ahead and protect themselves if necessary. Also, transparency enables open and honest feedback which is vital for helping a company to continually improve its practices and as a result to thrive and grow.
Take Care of Your Own Wellbeing, as well as Your Employees
You’re not superhuman. Leaders deserve to look after their own well-being as much as they focus on looking after their employees.
Taking breaks, getting enough sleep, and keeping a calm demeanor are all essential for your wellbeing, as well as helping you to perform your best as a leader. After all, long stints of big energy exertion aren’t good for anyone.
Give Yourself, and Your Employees’ Flexibility
We all have personal lives. So why not offer yourself, or an employee, the opportunity to work from home or re-configure work hours? Enabling flexibility with hours/workdays or changing an office setting encourages motivation within the workforce.
Don’t Come up with All the Answers
It’s understandable that you may not have all of the answers, especially throughout these uncertain times. Allowing your employees to voice their ideas and opinions helps with any difficult decisions. After all, you’re a team and it’s now more important than ever for teams to pull together to overcome any challenges within the workplace.
Use Online Tools to Hone in on Your Leadership Skills
Do you have a true understanding of your full leadership potential? Using conscious leadership tools such as a Psychometric assessment will give you a personal insight into which areas you can develop within leadership, such as emotional intelligence and performance.
Talk about Mental Health
In 2021, it was reported that poor mental health was the top cause of time off work in the UK, costing employers billions of pounds.
Mental health can often be a difficult subject for most people to talk about. Try setting up weekly sessions with your team or one-to-ones with individuals to find out how they are really feeling. The power of conversation is a great transformation tool that can have a massive impact on a person’s wellbeing.
Implementing these tips will help you to have a better understanding of yourself and the world around you, helping you to become the best leader that you can be.