Interestingly, there’s much to be learned in all sorts of circumstances and this past year has certainly provided lots of opportunities for that: especially about balancing work and life. Business leaders at all levels were challenged to learn and adapt repeatedly, and that’s not something any were trained for. There were lessons from the past that took on new meaning in the context of life and work during this pandemic. Like emotional intelligence: the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships genuinely, judiciously and empathetically. Be honest: how important was that on your list of management skills 12 months ago? Don’t feel bad – surveys show that back then a majority of business leaders put this in a nice to have rather than a required category. Not so today – leaders now need to be attuned to both onsite and WFH employees in order to assess and respond to their needs appropriately and effectively. Meaning, helping them find a reasonable and meaningful balance between the extraordinary pressures, stresses and challenges they're facing in both work and life these days. If we’ve learned nothing else, it’s that we’re all in this together and we need to help each other get through the good and bad times. And that starts with genuinely caring. Memo to self: ask your employees if they think you’re empathetic enough today.
John R. Wooden (1910-2010): Basketball Coach and author, considered to be the best ever college basketball coach
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