Abstract
It is recognized that COVID-19 and its aftermath continue to present great challenges for many leaders. First, the chapter presents a review of leadership styles and their main tenets. Next, a framework by which leaders may tailor their approach to a task, issue, or employee challenge is suggested. Fifteen considerations are discussed with a user-friendly set of five overarching facets beginning with the letter P: purpose, person, place, project, and pacing. The authors propose that utilizing this framework may enhance the performance of the organization through a leader's consideration of the context of the scenario and its interaction with an employee or team. With each facet, the chapter discusses a critical connection to servant leadership. Further, questions for reflection are offered through which a leader may recognize strengths and glean actionable insights. Last, considerations for future research are presented.
TopIntroduction
Post-COVID, employees face unprecedented challenges, both at home and work. On the family front, they may have been home-schooling children while balancing full-time work from the home office. People are dealing with the grief of losing loved ones to the virus. Others are managing the lasting physical consequences of the illness either physically or emotionally. Further, 30-40% of COVID survivors experience anxiety, depression, sleep abnormalities and post-traumatic stress (Mayo Clinic, 2021; Radraf, et al., 2021). Overall, Americans express fear and insecurity about the current vocational and economic crisis including, but not limited to rising inflation which as of this writing is up 7% the largest 12-month gain since June of 1982. In addition, employee resignations are at an all-time high, the highest levels reported in 2021 since the data has been tracked beginning in the year 2000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). To further complicate the current work environment, increased numbers of employees are working remotely, challenging leaders to create social presence and transparent communication without having the luxury of being face to face. Analytics forecast that 25-30% of employees will work from home after COVID compared to 3% before the pandemic (Global Workplace Analytics, 2022). Leaders must carefully maneuver the resulting change occurring in company culture.
In the past, some leaders may have been hesitant to acknowledge that part of the role is to seek awareness of and to support employees’ needs that originate outside of work; rather, they maintained focus on accountability, business strategy and organizational outcomes. Even those who have leaned toward servant leadership may sense an impetus to change. The amplified overlap of personal and work life cannot be denied as the pandemic’s end is not yet secure. A leader’s primary goal is to maximize and sustain long-term organizational performance through the performance of others. With the unprecedented environment, what is the best way to achieve this while also providing an intrinsic meaningful role for the leader?
Key Terms in this Chapter
COVID-19: Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
Endowment Effect: A cognitive bias by which a person over-values something that they “own” or believe is theirs.
Retention: An organization’s ability to prevent turnover and sustain their workforce.
Emotional Intelligence: The ability to be aware of and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.
Resilience: An individual’s capacity to cope with adversity.
Tailored Leadership: Shaping the leadership style based on the employee’s needs including the lens of servant leadership and taking into consideration the facets of purpose (why), project (what), place (where), and pacing (when/timing).
Organizational Performance: Maintaining or gaining market share through the combination of individual and team performance.
Presence: The actual or perceived availability and visibility of a leader that may bring hope and comfort to employees in uncertain times.
E-Leadership: Guiding, motivating, and leading employees, some of whom are working from multiple locations (possibly their homes), requiring effective use of technology.