Recently I heard these words: “There is no playbook for how to lead through this crisis…” I couldn’t disagree more. Perhaps leadership learning is not specific to this “unprecedented” crisis – but all major world (and even many organizational) crises were unprecedented before they happened. This is ours.

Everything you know about leadership has not changed.  In fact, much of what you know is simply being called upon in unexpected ways.  This is a time to remember the basics.  If you are looking for a playbook, one of my favorites is The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner. They say that leadership requires us to set an example, inspire a shared vision of the future, challenge the status quo, foster collaboration, encourage and strengthen others.  They share that leadership is everyone’s business. [Read more…]