Tidbits of Joy #8 - Leaders, Hero's & Us

Dear AdNet Employees, Clients and Friends;

During times of crisis, we are all called upon to be leaders whether that is in our work, community, and our families. Leaders are not the loudest, the biggest or the richest. A good leader is Brave. A good leader is Wise. A good leader is Vulnerable. I have been inspired by those who speak about hope and offer well thought strategies for our good health. This is a time where there are no case studies available for reference; no books on “how to survive” COVID because we are all still figuring it out.

Our everyday hero’s work in healthcare, are those on the front line in retail/hospitality and those who are taking care of others in need. The word “hero” suggests images of a person who puts their life on the line to save another. We tend to see these people present in an extreme catastrophic event. When we wear a mask out in public, we are hero’s taking care of one another; honoring the importance of life. During a crisis, the leaders and the heroes are “us”. We don’t need to hold a big title or be at the front of the line. A real leader stands in the back and let’s others shine, empowering others to be their best. Parents do that with children all the time when we cheer on our kids who take their first step, graduate from school, walk down the aisle in marriage, etc.

We are all learning how to lead remotely, train employees remotely and how to build relationships over video rather than being in-person. The days of doing successful business over video conferencing is taking shape quicker than we ever thought. If you told me 6 months ago that I would be spending more time nurturing relationships and leading over video, I would have told you “no way”. I’m one of those veterans who prefer in-person connection. Well, now I have an opportunity to stretch outside my boundaries and behaviors to reinvent myself. And I’m figuring it out.

Leadership is joyful, heartbreaking, courageous, just plain hard, tiring, compassionate, creative and it is always an Honor. And that honor extends into our families. How we inspire our children sets the stage for the next generation. And it’s hard, especially for those on this email who are home balancing kids along with jobs.

We are a resilient community who will overcome COVID and we will be stronger for it.

I am a proponent for vulnerability in leadership. Here is a good read from the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2020/05/why-ceos-should-model-vulnerability

You may wonder “who is this person sending me these Tidbits of Joy each week?” This link will give you a short glimpse and thank you to those on this email who have taught me how to lead through the hardest of times https://youtu.be/9VuBsIV4WQk

Have a great week.

Betsy