Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, most companies were opposed to the idea of their employees working from home. The general concern was around productivity and trust. Completely understandable, especially for leaders who are used to the corporate model.

Concerns included:

• Benefits of virtual jobs falling in favour of the workforce
• Loss of credibility with clients or investors without office space to hold meetings
• Employees will not be readily available for urgent matters
• Remote staff will be distracted by personal affairs
• A little more life than work on the work-life balance scale

The thing is, the coronavirus pandemic has made these concerns redundant and leaders have been presented with an opportunity to reexamine and to reset. Prior to the pandemic employee engagement figures were 29% on average based on recent Gallup surveys.

Work post-COVID-19 is going to be different, Good leaders who exhibit these seven qualities will rise, successfully steering their company and team through the crisis and beyond and the bad leaders will be exposed.

During a crisis, your responsibility as a leader is to build winning relationships with your people by taking a genuine interest in them. If you are invested in them, they invest back into you and your company.

So, here is how to lead your team through a crisis while ensuring you come out stronger on the other side.

1. Purpose

It starts with purpose. A modern-day leader’s purpose is to help their staff achieve their goals in and outside of work. Even if that means they might leave your company in a few years — your job is to help people be the best they possibly be can be in all aspects of their lives.

When we show our team members that we are personally invested in them, they will naturally want to show appreciation. We need to build a culture of empowerment and growth — a culture based on humanity. Your team members are not numbers; they are human beings. Now is the time to show them they matter.

To show them what they mean to you, you need to communicate, be vulnerable, flexible, embrace employee diversity and be adaptable.

2. Communication

So, how do you communicate effectively in a virtual manner? One-on-one video sessions work the best. By having frequent check-ins with your team members over video, you will build trust.

People’s stress levels are higher when they work remotely. They assume that you, as their boss, have little trust in them because you cannot micro-manage them.

The difference between video chat and email communication is enormous — would you respond better to an email update on the state of your company from your employers, or something like this? Exactly, there is no comparison.

Arne Sorenson commits to forgoing his own salary for the rest of the year, cutting the wages of his executives by 50% to ensure he is supporting his staff as best he can. He communicates this face to face, directly and clearly.

He does so in a way that many leaders in business and elsewhere fail to grasp — through personal connection and honesty. Leading in a way where he is hoping for the best but acknowledging and preparing for the worst. Using the Stockdale Paradox is an effective way of making it through hardship and reaching your goals.

3. Vulnerability

Being open and vulnerable when communicating will give your people confidence and hope, which is what they need. It also displays your authenticity. By showing who you are, and how you are dealing with this crisis, your team will see you as human.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it is having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage. People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real badasses.” — Brene Brown

Going forward in a post-COVID-19 world, vulnerability is vital in building trust with remote working practices.

4. Flexibility

During this time and beyond, it’s crucial to be flexible with your staff — especially those with kids. As opposed to measuring their performance on how many hours they’re online, you should measure it on output.

Take parents, for example, if you are flexible with them, they can tend to their children and still get the work done while the kids are asleep. Gone are the days of a 9–5 timeline.

Decide on core hours (when you may need them for urgent tasks — where everyone should be online), but otherwise let them be. By putting trust in them, there is less chance of them letting you down — especially given the times.

When it comes to meetings, make it known in advance what day and time — set a recurring catch-up or all-staff meeting for weekly check-ins.

If their work does not have a strict deadline, try to be as flexible as you can, as long as the job gets done well.

Embracing the remote work model and being patient as your staff adapts is crucial. According to a GWA survey, remote work could Save the U.S. Over $700 Billion a Year and Much More in the years to come.

5. Diversity

Diversifying your leadership team and staff has so many benefits, especially during a crisis. If you want to build teams or organisations capable that will innovate, diversity is critical. By having voices that represent all cultures and backgrounds, you are challenged to look at problems differently — leading to creativity.

Diversity inspires the quest for new information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem-solving. Look at these incredible female leaders, for example — leading whole countries in authentic ways through COVID-19.

A very effective principal for diversity is Bottom-Up Leadership. Leaders need to create a space where people feel comfortable enough to share their points of view.

By taking this approach, you can not only cut costs significantly but also realise your goals more rapidly because managers and employees are motivated to help. Changes are then also more likely to stick if they come from within.

Leaders set the goal to provide direction but to achieve the goal they need to trust and rely on the wealth of information they are sitting on. Sure, one individual may not have the answer, but a focused workforce will.

6. Adaptability

Adaptability speaks to a change in mindset, a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is rigid and inflexible, leaders need a growth mindset which coincides with the times, and right now, there is no rule book.

Things are changing every day; therefore, leaders need to be adaptable to make the best decisions for their company. You need to think long-term — how can you ensure your people come out stronger on the other side of this?

You should also be adaptable with your employees because when all of this is over, they will remember the companies that were human when they needed it the most. It’s about relationships. Think about ways in which you can promote a fun and uplifting work culture over digital channels. Think virtual happy hours and morning coffee meetings. Create a space for people to talk one-on-one as well as in a group setting and check in on people before just launching into work business.

This is the time to build trust, with a lot of people having shared experiences. It’s an excellent opportunity to break down barriers.

7. Lead by Example

People are watching what leaders are doing and saying because just like a child learns from his parents’ actions, not their words so do employees. Leaders should practise and model self-care to their staff as well as being conscientious about their words and behaviours.

As someone who people look up to, now, more than ever, you need to lead by example. You need to set the tone. You can do so through flexibility and transparency. Adjust your team’s priorities according to the broader landscape — based on what is possible now.

Give them time to adjust and reinforce your dedication to them by giving them a look into how your day-to-day has changed, how you are dealing with it and how you plan to overcome it.

An opportunity to build real relationships

Anytime things get shaken up, there is a potential for a positive change. This crisis is global, and we’re all affected in some way.

Use the fact that we’re all in this together as an opportunity to uplift your staff and build for the future.

Moments of crisis unveil a great deal about those around you. Once the immediate fire is extinguished, and you have a moment to reflect, think about who stepped up, who struggled, and why. Consider how roles will evolve in a post-COVID-19 world and whether your key managers are positioned for success.