Abstract
Significant changes in organizational leadership are often accompanied by organizational members suffering from trauma. This situation is not for the faint of heart; however, it is an opportunity to employ a leadership style that enables an inviting and safe environment. This “culture of care” maintains efficiency and clearly articulates the vision of the organization, while addressing its mission and goals. Leading during a time of turmoil, trauma, and drastic change requires a leader to be intentional. The leader must know who they are, what they believe, and what they value. They must establish a clear path for the organization, and plan for the unexpected. The leader's compassion, consistency, empathy, fairness, honesty, professionalism, and transparency will serve as the standard by which all others follow.
TopBackground
The health, productivity, and success of an organization are often best defined by its leadership. The decisions made by an organization’s leaders impact the creativity, confidence, effectiveness, productivity, and well-being of every member of the organization (Ejimabo, 2015). Frequent change in the leadership of an organization for any reason can lead to a sense of fear, distrust, and uncertainty. New leaders can often become frustrated by the need to put out numerous fires created by situations they inherit to keep the organization afloat and maintain efficiency (Craine, 2007). With the addition of a global pandemic to the equation, this can prove overwhelming, even for the most experienced leader. The added layers of fear and uncertainty related to the pandemic increase the anxiety of the members of the organization, particularly those members that were already struggling with personal and professional issues prior to the onset of the pandemic (Walker, 2020).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Servant Leader: An individual focused on meeting the needs of the followers in order to ensure the goals and objectives of the organization are met.
Relentless Triage: An approach taken to prioritize assignments, duties, and tasks in an individual’s life with the goal of reducing chaos and/or fostering balance.
Leadership Role: A position that requires an individual to manage members of an organization effectively and fairly.
Reluctant Employees: Members of an organization that exhibit behaviors that undermine its mission, goals, and objectives.
Social Learning: Theoretical framework built upon the work of Albert Bandura that proposes individuals develop their attitudes, beliefs, values, and worldview through observing and modeling others.
Strategic Leader: An individual focused on aligning the skills of the employees within the organization with the tasks needed to best meet organizational goals and objectives.
Resiliency: The ability to successfully overcome adversity, barriers, and setbacks.