Workers exist in a volatile world. Management is also stumped. The coronavirus has damaged the economy around the world; The United States is no exception. With more than 22 million American workers filing for unemployment, government officials and business executives are trying to balance public health with economic survival. More layoffs are sure to follow as the pandemic keeps people at home.
Yet the economic pains can be felt across the country. Food lines are growing. A sinking economy persists. In fact, the United States has not seen these job losses during the Great Depression. The world is interconnected, thanks to globalization. America’s middle class is holding its breath as the threat of more job cuts becomes a reality, further eroding their quality of life. With the coronavirus before us, this article examines how to lead a volatile world.
The coronavirus has made its presence known, causing disruptive change across the world. According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus has infected more than 2,000,000 people in at least 177 countries.
To date, millions of Americans have been diagnosed with Covid-19, resulting in more than 300,000 deaths. Although New York has been the center of the discussion, all states have been affected. Unintended consequences continue to occur.
As the federal government rolls out a $2 trillion stimulus package, President Trump and state governors bicker over who is in control. Big Brother has arrived. The government dictates how private businesses must operate while restricting the way citizens gather in the name of public safety. The results of the private breaches have sparked anti-government protests.
There needs to be a different kind of leadership in a volatile world. Today’s hyper-competitive, pandemic environment requires high-performing organizations to maintain success in the marketplace. However, many organizations operate from the same corporate structure as the Industrial Revolution.
In this environment, managers monitor workers to monitor their performance due to the fact that managers believe that workers are inferior and have no passion for the job. Most workers are willing to work if they are put in a position to succeed and there are shared rewards. Unfortunately, I have heard too many complaints about bad bosses and uncaring organizations.
There are too many managers and organizations that do not appreciate the importance of their employees. These same managers are great at distributing tasks, but fail to motivate their own workers.
According to a survey by the RAND Corporation, the nation is not producing enough future leaders with a substantial depth of experience and international perspective. In fact, the survey describes the following main attributes to have a successful career in an international organization in public settings: (a) general cognitive skills (problem solving, analytical ability, etc.), (b) interpersonal and relational skills, (c) adaptability, (d) intercultural competence, and (e) the ability to work in a team.
However, in many companies, the task of developing leadership competencies is left to human resource managers. Indeed, working in a global environment requires a different mix of skills. J. Stewart Black, Allen Morrison, and Hal Gregersen, authors of global explorersargues that every global leader has a set of global characteristics regardless of their country or industry.
The four key areas include curiosity, perspective, character, and intelligence. Business knowledge becomes the word of the day because one must be able to think globally and adjust activities locally, as well as satisfy customers at all levels.
Leaders must be visionaries so that they provide the organization with a vision of what the organization wants to transform into despite the current situation. Leaders must drive decision-making down to the lowest levels and empower employees to perform. Leaders must have integrity and lead by example. Leaders must have a global perspective to understand that the world is interconnected.
Additionally, leaders must be strategic so that they look beyond today’s struggles to anticipate threats and opportunities. Leaders must know how to inspire and motivate workers to perform. Leaders must value diversity and make the most of their talents.
In fact, these competencies promote the need for leaders to learn how to work effectively with people who have different languages, customs, and social values. Leaders must hold people accountable but share in the rewards of organizational success. Leaders must learn to listen to and respect their employees so that they can maintain trust throughout the organization.
In short, the coronavirus will not leave our planet any time soon. Societies around the world will need to make adjustments to the new normal. Therefore, organizations cannot continue to flounder in this global environment.
Indeed, desperate times should call for immediate action. With millions unemployed and well-paying jobs being outsourced overseas, these market trends should get more attention from everyone. Organizations that want to remain successful in the future can no longer continue in the same mode of operations.
This article demonstrated the critical need to select the right kind of leadership in a volatile world. Success will largely depend on your ability to manage your resources, strategic opportunities, and inspire your workforce to higher performance. Let’s pray it’s not too late
© 2020 by Daryl D. Green
