The Green Sheet Online Edition
April 4, 2021 • 21:04:02
Leading with hope after adversity
With the second quarter of 2021 underway and good economic indicators on the horizon, many of us are optimistic that enterprises of all kinds will flourish as the gravest dangers of the pandemic recede.
What does this time of transition mean for leadership? We won't be restricted like we've been since COVID-19 took us hostage, but we won't be living in a world quite like the pre-pandemic one either. Should we take a new tack?
According to leadership development expert Randy Goruk, leadership right now isn't much different than it is during any other time, good or bad. The skills and qualities that see us through routine challenges, as well as help us address events that take us by surprise, are exactly what we need to get us through. This notion is reassuring.
Taking skillful command
In March 2020, Goruk listed five things an effective leader must be able to do:
- Demonstrate unwavering character
- Care about the well being of your employees, customers, vendors and community
- Communicate your plans and solicit suggestions from your team
- Be thorough in your research and planning but don't procrastinate
- Be mentally tough.
"It will be easier to make the correct decision if you stay grounded by your values, your mission, and your vision for the future," Goruk added. "You must embrace accountability—don't wait for someone else to take action. You are the leader."
Goruk's clarity reminds me of comments colleagues in the payments industry made when discussing how they and their companies pivoted to meet the needs of customers when the pandemic took hold. Members of The Green Sheet Advisory Board, for example, gave us a glimpse of leadership in action when they shared how they dealt with the crisis in our Dec. 14 and 28, 2020, and Jan. 11, 2021, issues.
Easing into a new normal
I have full confidence we will all continue to adapt as conditions change, doing what is necessary to facilitate commerce and widen access to ever more innovative and inclusive forms of payment acceptance and business services.
In a sense, we are all beginning anew, learning from what worked well in the prior year and creating new models of work going forward. Here are some things to keep in mind during this hopeful time of opening up:
- Decide who your core team will be and bring them together.
- Evaluate your recent actions and plans, and determine what has worked and what hasn't.
- Be honest about what today's market conditions and challenges are.
- Review and revise your business plan to allow for current reality.
- Determine the best way to market your revamped offerings.
As some people return to the office or to the field, others work from home permanently, and some adopt a combination of in-person and remote work, be mindful that people often need reassurance during transition—even during times of positive change. Go out of your way to check in with folks and let them know how to get support as we all participate in creating our new normal.
Whether you want to upgrade your POS offerings, find a payment gateway partner, bone up on fintech regs or PCI requirements, find an upcoming trade show, read about faster payments, or discover the latest innovations in merchant acquiring, The Green Sheet is the resource for you. Since 1983, we've helped empower and connect payments professionals, starting with the merchant level salespeople who bring tailored payment acceptance and digital commerce tools, along with a host of other business services to merchants across the globe. The Green Sheet Inc. is also a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals.
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