We are re-opening – Now What?

As the world moves toward re-opening, a remarkable opportunity is also opening for leaders to re-claim and re-shape the culture of their team and organization. With crisis comes opportunity. Using the 5 Levels of Leadership from John Maxwell as a model, leaders can take intentional actions to fully engage their teams as they return to the new normal of business.^[1]

Level 1 in the 5 Levels of Leadership is called Position and means that your influence is entirely dependent on the fact that you are the boss; you have the title. This is not an effective way to lead and why we encourage leaders to enjoy the fact that someone saw leadership potential enough in you and gave you the title and move quickly to Level 2. Level 2 is called Permission and is where leaders are investing in relationships to increase their level of influence with the people on their team.  Level 2 is the starting place for the culture you enjoy as an organization.

Consider these Level 2 actions to reclaim and reshape organizational culture:

• Connect intentionally with every person on your team
• Talk openly about the crisis and what you learned as a team
• Share personally about your journey during the crisis
• Collaborate with the team on a new standard of excellence
• Communicate with clarity your purpose and mission
• Confirm and verify your core values – add or change as needed

Level 3 in the 5 Levels of Leadership is about producing results together with your team. A strong team culture is cultivated when you generate results together.

Consider these Level 3 actions to reclaim and reshape organizational culture:

• Reflect on learnings from the crisis and design new operating procedures for the team
• Consider what’s now possible
• Rethink roles and responsibilities to serve clients better
• Rethink team dynamics to serve clients better
• Communicate the value that each individual brings to the work you do
• Get small wins early to build momentum over time

When crisis or adversity occurs, leaders have a fantastic opportunity to rethink how they communicate with their team, how they serve others.

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^[1] Re-Claiming & Re-Shaping  Culture As We Reopen Business ACCESSED 9 June, 2020.