Leadership Fatigue - one year on
“Fatigue is what we experience, but it is what a match is to an atomic bomb.” Laura Hillenbrand
A rush of adrenalin fuelled leaders’ response to the first wave of Covid disruption. Almost overnight, business leaders re-engineered entire operating models, customer relations and people practices. It was tough, although strangely exciting at times, as leaders implemented emergency measures, at lightning speed. One year on from the start of the pandemic, leaders are fatigued.
‘When Lockdown 1 began, we had no idea we’d still be operating like this a year later. I remember even joking about it, telling my team it would just be a case of getting by for a few months…’
I’ve had many coaching conversations like this over the past few months, made harder by winter lockdowns and uncertainty about re-opening roadmaps across Europe. This very acute business leadership crisis has been exacerbated by the ever-present existential threat to life, livelihoods and wellbeing. There are leaders who have lost people to Covid, or who have experienced health stresses directly or indirectly, be that from caring for vulnerable relatives or home-schooling for months on end.
‘I’m running out of energy to keep my team motivated…we haven’t met in person for a year…and I have new team members I haven’t been in the same room with yet – it’s hard to get to know them. I feel we’re missing out with customers too, there’s no opportunity to develop new trusted relationships. The last year has been hard, but the one ahead looks tough too!’.
As Spring is springing and the hope of vaccine rollouts brings re-opening onto the horizon, many leaders I speak to are quietly fatigued, worn out, lacking inspiration and energy reserves to ‘go again’ after a year of years. If you’re feeling the same, it’s essential you take steps to secure your own resilience:
PAUSE – when your calendar looks like a brick wall, with no daylight shining through, and you hear yourself saying ‘I’m back-to-back’, it’s time to apply the emergency handbrake and take stock. Make sure you build in some pauses in your working patterns, at least 10 minutes buffer between calls, and be firm on your start and finish boundaries. You’ll also set a healthy example to others.
MOVE – Would you strap in for an 8-12 hour long haul flight five days in a row? Of course not! Re-imagine your working environment (especially if it’s a homeworking one) to stimulate movement, standing and walking around, and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
PHONE – It is completely unnatural to converse fully face on with another person through a screen for hours on end. If you know the person you’re meeting, use the telephone for a more thoughtful and mindful conversation where both of you are free to roam as you talk.
SHARE- Do not go forward alone. The most courageous step you can take is to involve a trusted colleague, mentor, counsellor or coach to help you take stock of what your priorities really need to be, and how to ensure your own wellbeing.
INVOLVE - I repeatedly hear of team members calling out for more input to shaping new directions. Remember – good leaders create leaderful teams of highly capable people – it’s amazing what people can deliver if you get them involved early.
SLEEP – Psychological studies over the past year indicate that sleep patterns have been widely disrupted throughout lockdown. If this is you, put a plan in place to increase your daily exercise, and clearly cut off your working time with two or three hours without work before bedtime.
Leadership is a long haul. Whilst it takes sharp responsiveness in times of crisis, it also requires thoughtfulness to re-imagine how teams, businesses and markets can thrive again. If you’re feeling fatigue one year one, you are not alone. Taking a physical and metaphorical breath is the very best step you can take to re-energise yourself, and essential before you attempt to re-energise your team.
“Regeneration: The ability to refresh, restore and innovate across many dimensions and over time”. Paul Miller and Shimrit James – The Nature of Work 2021.