4 Tips for Leadership in a Post-Pandemic World

While the challenges brought on by the pandemic were and are different across organizations, one thing remains consistent for every organization: strong leadership will be required to guide us into a post-pandemic business world. 
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Being a broad and buzzworthy topic, leadership advice can often get bogged down with redundant details and an overload of proposed tasks. Rather than listing out potentially arbitrary business leadership tips, we’ve prioritized 4 areas specific to leading your organization out of the pandemic as we return to some sense of normalcy.

1 . Embrace Flexibility
One of the biggest  lessons of the pandemic is just how crucial it is for your organization to remain flexible and be able to pivot due to unforeseen circumstances. The pandemic forced businesses across the country into dire decision making, from difficult employee cuts to severing office leases and potentially closing their doors. These circumstances have also shown us that flexibility is more important than ever. 

This may mean supporting your employees’ needs to work differently if your business allows for it. Properly supporting remote work takes an investment in the tools and protocols that will promote efficiency while retaining company culture and collaboration. Remote work comes with its fair share of pros and cons, ranging from saving costs to missing out on in-person collaboration that can’t be fully replicated through virtual tools, according to Fortune. While some companies have opted for relegating some of their staff to remote work or even hiring international remote teams, you may find a hybrid work model to be an ideal solution that allows for remote flexibility while retaining some of the benefits of in-person work. 

Keeping a pulse on your employees’ preferences and productivity will allow you to evolve most effectively. Every team functions differently, so finding the right balance between remote work capabilities and in-office collaboration is key.

2 . Prioritize Mental Health
According to Forbes, a CDC survey from 2020 found over 40% of respondents indicating conditions such as depression and anxiety. While mental illnesses are nothing new, our growing knowledge and sensitivity to them certainly is. And the pandemic has only further exposed these underlying conditions in much of the American workforce. 

Leading your organization out of the pandemic will require sensitivity to your employees’ mental health needs that have likely been exacerbated by the pandemic and quarantine conditions. In addition to reviewing your work flexibility as mentioned above, you’ll want to revisit your benefits and resources for employees including:

• Additional PTO
• Flexible work schedules
• Offer access to mental health resources

Addressing and accounting for mental health goes beyond added benefits and well into establishing a work culture of openness and acceptance. Leadership must set a tone in the work environment that encourages employees to attend to their mental health wellbeing. Employees will be more likely to take advantage of the resources and offerings in a work culture that rewards taking care of oneself.
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3 . Promote Transparency
Uncertainty has been the theme of the pandemic and likely a word you’re tired of seeing. However, we’ve never seen this level of uncertainty, especially with regard to business operations across all industries. When moving forward into the post-pandemic world with your team, it will be of utmost importance to keep everyone aligned and informed. Decisions and directions may be up in the air, and proper communication will go far in retaining  talent and ensuring high morale.

Remaining transparent is one of the 6 Small Business Management Tips we’ve discussed before, and for good reason. Encouraging your team members to come to management and leadership with problems can lead to quicker solutions and more proactive decisions. Providing clarity with effective internal communication is foundational in maintaining a workplace culture built on trust.

4. Leverage External Resources to Drive Better Performance
You may be moving into the post-pandemic world with a much different organization than that with which you entered it. Roles may be combined, duties may be shared, talent may be difficult to find and leadership voids may need to be addressed.  This is a challenging environment in which to operate and it can seem overwhelming at times.

We’ve discussed how Fractional Leadership is a predicted business trend of 2021. The benefits of fractional leadership are numerous, especially in times of uncertainty and change.  You can supplement your team’s needs with highly-skilled cost effective fractional resources, far greater than you might be able to afford as a full-time resource.  These resources can be accessed in accounting & finance, human resources or operations.

Trying to ramp your operation back up to accommodate growth or find a new key leader can be extremely challenging today.  Being able to access talent on demand, attract new talent and develop the talent you have is crucial to your organization's future success. Often turning to a firm like Lauber can help you accomplish this much more quickly and effectively than trying to do it all yourself.  
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We are dedicated to providing critical talent and developing talent for organizations to help them be successful.


Providing Services to Small and Mid-Size Businesses Since 1986
Lauber Business Partners provides services tailored to small and mid-size organizations. We’ve been consulting with organizations like yours since 1986, and our services include:
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​Human Resources 
Finance & Accounting
Coaching 
Executive Search
Nonprofit Management
Growth Planning
Recovery & Rebuild Services​
Recruitment Process Insourcing

Contact us today at 414-273-8060 or [email protected] to see how Lauber Business Partners can help your small business grow and succeed.