Many of us want this to be a better year than 2020. We all have high hopes for a large degree of normality to return to our lives. We seek to recover all that we have lost in 2020.
However, we need to remember one uncomfortable truth as we enter this new year. There is no fast lane on the road to recovery. It takes time and it is a process, most of which happens on the inside rather than just on the outside.
As leaders who grasp this fundamental truth, we must realize that creating the right environment for this internal process to take place is mission critical to making 2021 a better year. The first step in that creation process is to increase psychological safety. Rather than defaulting to dysfunctional methods of managing people, i.e. carrots (paying more for work completed) or sticks (reprimanding or threatening job loss), we need to focus on execution as a pathway to learning.
Furthermore, to increase psychological safety, we must recognize that this is the year to support people to grow and to achieve a new level of performance. The key word in that sentence is “grow”. We do this by offering support so people have the confidence to embrace the changes before them. As their personal confidence grows, so will their confidence in their team grow. The former involves more proactive coaching and the later is more emotional more than mental.
At the same time, we as leaders need to recognize that it’s not just making sure all the goals, new systems, etc. will happen this new year. It is how our direct reports feel about implementing them in 2021. Facts and feelings are part of creating psychological safety.
The second step is to role model personal accountability for our words and our deeds. When we choose to hold ourselves accountable to a higher level of integrity, we send a message to everyone that this new year involves doing on-going internal work and generating significant external results.
So, as we begin this new year, let us all remember that there is no fast lane on the road to recovery. The only way to it is through it. Now is the right time to commit to becoming a better person and a better leader in 2021.
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