We are Different Now; Leading in a New World

The old version of how and why we worked has shifted.

The pandemic, as devastating as it has been for so many, also offered up an opportunity for organizations to look closely at how we work, why we work, where we work, and with whom we work.

Yet today, as organizations try desperately to “return to normal”, they are failing to see that their employees (and the world) have fundamentally changed. Employees do not want this version of “normal” that organizations are selling. They want change. They want empathetic and caring leaders.

Let’s be very clear. The last two years have been profound in so many ways. We have been stretched and overworked in both our work lives and in our home lives. We have had to navigate the emotional stressors that come with grief —death literally touched every one of us in some capacity and in some degree. We have had to look deeply at ourselves, our co-workers, and those close to us as we unravel race relations and cultural history in this country. We have barely held it together while we try and protect the mental health of our youngest family members as lockdown and school closures rained down. Working mothers have been rocked to the core and continue to be headline material as the inequities of unpaid work, paid work, and caregiving have come front and center. And now, world war looms as we watch in horror the inexplicable and inhumane happening in Ukraine and to its people.

So yes, we are different now and therefore we must also lead differently. The old version of how we worked, who we worked with, where we work and why we work has dramatically shifted and we will no longer stand for leaders that follow the old standard of “status quo”.

Right now and going forward, we want leaders who can empathize with our grief, acknowledge our stress, value our caregiving demands, understand our desires to spend more time with family and friends —to connect. We want leaders who hold space for our individual stories and who are held accountable for their “inaction” when it comes to disrupting the wheel of power and privilege.

It is no accident that employees are using the words “performative” and “lip service” when describing leaders that are not doing the deep work of change. Because we want leaders that walk-the-talk. Period. We want leaders who care. Period. We want leaders who lead with empathy. Period. We want leaders that make us feel accepted and respected. Period. We want leaders that we can trust and who also trust us. Period.

And you know what? We can get there but it does take deliberate work on the part of all is us, especially our leaders. Through coaching and learning programs that build intelligence across culture, gender, generation, and emotion, we can get there. We all have the capacity to learn and grow, and constant learning is itself a destination. Employees demand and deserve good leaders. Good leadership is “caring leadership”, plain and simple.