At last month’s BocaLead, we challenged you to row towards the crisis currently affecting the world. We have been so encouraged by the way you have taken up this call to help those who are suffering in South Florida.
In the last 30 days, you contributed your registration fees and more to raise just under $4,000 for the BocaLead Relief Fund. Thank you so much for your generosity. If you’d like to donate to the fund, you can do so here. Every dollar goes to help our community in crisis.
Additionally, we recently received the generous donation of a semi-truck that was filled with $200,000 worth of essential goods such as diapers, paper towels, laundry detergent, shampoo, and dish soap. We want to give a huge thank you to many of our BocaLead partners who got the word out, served as distribution centers, and donated their time and resources to get these items to those who need them most in our community.
As we have said here at BocaLead, “We’re all in the same storm, but not all in the same boat.” In this crisis, some of us are in bigger, sturdier boats than others. This storm is not over. We still have a long way to go, and we believe that we who are given so much and have so many resources, should then turn around and give to others so we can all weather the storm together.
Two months ago, before this all began, we started a new BocaLead series on, “Heart, Smarts, Spine and Soul.” Today, we’re on the topic of “Spine.” Things are tough right now, but it’s times like this that give us the opportunity to develop a stronger spine. So, in this BocaLead session, we’ll be discussing the negative parts of the crisis we’re in, then learn the positive ways we can look at it instead. We’ll be using an acrostic to give you a visual representation of these concepts.
In this crisis, things are unstable, unpredictable, and unexpected. The rate of change is so fast that it is hard to keep up.
Our present reality is unclear. Timing, resources, and opportunity are confusing. For example, two months ago, thousands of people walked through our church campus where we hold BocaLead on a weekly basis. Now, there are only five of us here.
In this situation, more opportunities and disruptions, both good and bad, present themselves and multiply.
We don’t know why we’re doing what we’re doing. Meaning is out of focus, muted, and sometimes lost. We’re no longer sure of the choices to make and direction to take.
All of these negative factors make it hard for businesses and people to function in a crisis. However, if we shift our perspective, we can see there are ways to work through it. Let’s look at some of these below.
This is the alignment or re-alignment of your long-term beliefs. Keep the big picture in mind by holding true to your beliefs and values, and not changing them with the fickleness of the day.
Understanding brings focus. True leaders define reality, which is difficult to do in times like these. We have to understand that things are not going to “get back to normal.” Instead, we must establish a new normal, and create security and stability for our teams and the people we serve by keeping in contact with them and learning how we can best help them during this crisis.
To find clarity, you must first accept what you can and cannot change. Then, create clear information, processes, strategies and purpose based on what you can or cannot do. The key here is to communicate, communicate, communicate.
Having agility means having the ability to move. Everything is changing, so be ready to make quick decisions and changes to your schedule and priorities. Get out of the pause mode. Your people need you now more than ever. They’re afraid, so involve them in the process and help them out. The people who are making moves and finding innovative new ways to function are the ones who will do well in this crisis.
Now, let’s go back through the acrostic:
Take a look at this again and ask yourself, “Where there is volatility, do you have vision? Where there is uncertainty, can you gain understanding? Where there is complexity, can you create clarity? Where there is ambiguity, can you demonstrate agility?”
The ability to shift perspective and work your way through the crisis gives you a stronger spine and makes you able to remain steadfast in the middle of chaos.
Now that we’ve discussed the negatives and positives to this crisis, let’s look at how to apply what we’ve learned.
As leaders, others are looking to us as their example. If you’re showing deep-seated confidence and calm, you will positively affect your people, your co-workers, and your family. By demonstrating that you’ll take care of them, you’ll earn their trust, and ultimately, will attract new clients, because others will see what you’re doing and will know they can depend on you.
Let us be critical thinkers and people of action. Analyze the situation, determine your steps, then act.
Business is and always has been about people. This crisis is a great reminder that while our profits, programs, services and goods are important, we wouldn’t even have our businesses without our people.
Don’t say, “I don’t need to learn this, because the crisis is almost over.” Learning is for life. Whether it’s understanding and leveraging new technology, learning a new language, or discovering new, more efficient ways to conduct your business, take the opportunity you have now to learn something new, and use it to help others.
What you do now, you will continue to do after this is over. Make the necessary changes to your schedule, contacts, etc. to help others in a meaningful way. Don’t settle for just ok. Pursue excellence in everything you do, especially now.
When there is a crisis and there is bad news to give, we like to cower and run away. We at BocaLead say do the opposite. Don’t hide. RUN to your customers, your investors, and even your competitors. If you deal with them in a straightforward manner, they’ll know you care for them, and you’ll be able to move forward together.
We’ve given you a lot of content in today’s BocaLead session, and we know you probably won’t remember it all. So, we’d like to encourage you to just take away one thing. Circle the point that resonated with you the most and say, “I’m going to practice that one.” When we see you the next time we gather together, we’ll ask you which one of these you’ve been practicing. So, go do it.
In this next month of continued transitions, don’t miss the opportunity to have community. Call, text or email the people who would normally be at your table, and re-establish the connection we’ve all been missing. May God bless you, and we hope you have a great month.
Bad things routinely happen to good people. Discover the power of moving onward and upward.
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