Election Day 2020 is here and the gap between candidates, parties, and people around the nation is ever-widening. The bolstering of two so deliberately opposed sides has driven a wedge like we’ve never seen in our lifetimes. There’s not much new to say as we all have access to endless propaganda masquerading as news services.
And yet, we as leaders have been tasked with leading up to, through, and beyond this election cycle, global pandemic, and countless unknowns the future will bring. As we scan a landscape where it is so easy to be disheartened by the discord and disunity, the following are a few ways to help foster a culture of team unity:
Encourage
In a time filled with so much fear and uncertainty, there’s little that’s more powerful than finding a moment to encourage. Whether it be with a gift or a note, private or public, written or spoken, BE SPECIFIC. Find creative ways to celebrate and honor people for the behaviors and actions that make the team stronger and the organization better.
Communicate
There’s a ton of mental spinning that happens as people try to determine what’s okay to do and say in times like these. As leaders, we can help put words to feelings that are likely rumbling beneath the surface of the larger culture. While it’s tempting to play it safe and stay silent, there’s no such thing as a leadership vacuum, and your voice is significant. In times like these, we have the opportunity to foster and reinforce a culture where it’s safe to believe something different than others, and more importantly, different than their leaders.
Break the Script
Drawn from Chip and Dan Heath’s, “The Power of Moments,” there are endless ways to shift expectations. Every organization has routines, from people rolling into the same parking spaces to people sitting in the same seat at meetings. For many, there has been an indelible shift to a survival mindset of “just get through.” Everything is out of whack and people’s expectations are at an all-time low. One of the most notable elements absent in a stressed out and toxic culture is laughter. This is an awesome time to get our creative juices flowing and create powerful moments when they’re least expected.
When we encourage, communicate, and break the script, we help invite people to move a little closer and connect a little deeper. The way we live and lead in these little moments makes all the difference in the world.
Cheers to being a leader in pursuit of commUNITY!
