A word on leadership amid COVID-19 pandemic

Leaders are supposed to lead, and that responsibility doesn’t go away when many of us are practicing social distancing and working from home. In fact, leadership is probably more important now than ever.

But how can leaders do their jobs these days? It’s a hard question with no easy answer, and it’s something I’m grappling with myself at Plus. All I can say is that I know the health and safety of our employees is always most important to me, and I use that as a frame when making tough decisions, such as closing offices and sending people home. I also lean into Plus’s vision, mission and values to guide my decisions. They sit at the core of our company and have never been as crucial as they are now.

To other business leaders out there, I suggest doing the same — lean on your company’s mission and values now more than ever. They exist for a reason and have guided you to this point, so now is the time to really let them shine.

I also liked a line I saw recently in the SHRM blog: “Ditch the foolish fearlessness, but not your humanity.” I think it’s a great, simple reminder that we don’t need fake bravado to lead effectively. All of us are human and dealing with this crisis like everyone else. Our employees want to see that, and they want reassurance that you’re there for them, too.