by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc.®

“The seminal difference between successful and mediocre or unsuccessful ventures has little, if anything, to do with what they know or how smart they are: it has everything to do with how healthy they are.” Patrick Lencioni in his book ‘The Advantage.’

Let’s take each one of these key organization health factors in turn with an eye on how to sustain impetus during our pandemic and beyond: Quotes like this apply just as much in our pandemic world, as they did before and will do after. It’s likely what Lencioni had in mind were the three key health factors that ventures require in order to sustain themselves, with or without the COVID crisis, namely: 1) Vision, Strategy and Resources, 2) Your Venture’s People, and 3) Your Leadership. Without your health you have little with which to enjoy life, no matter how smart you are or how much money you have. Just look at those many wealthy stars that die so young.

» 1) Vision, Strategy and Resources – Do you have a venture success-vision that will survive and even thrive during the pandemic and beyond? It’s reminiscent of the many creative leadership teams that have turned on a dime to turn a bad hand into a winner. Like the pizza house in Chicago that suddenly realized that it could evolve its pre-Covid pie-oven into a furnace to make Plexiglas. There were so many immediate safety needs to be filled, while pizza restaurants were closed

Do you also have the dynamic strategies in place to support the opportunities within your vision? That pizza house had to suddenly set up different customer supply lines, distribution channels and marketing activities to exploit its new found products.

Do you have the resources to sustain your growing venture? Financial, material and marketing resources have not always been readily available during our pandemic. This is where creativity, determination and “making your luck happen” are crucial.

» 2) Your Venture’s People – Do you have the loyalty and people talent within your venture to sustain it during such difficult times? If you were an enlightened leader before our calamity, chances are your people will stick with you “during thick and thin.” You have always been loyal to them, so in turn they are likely to be loyal to you.

However, if you haven’t been particularly consistent in developing a people-oriented culture, you now have the opportunity to step-up and recognize how important your staff-teams are. If a cut in pay is required to survive, then you take a similar cut in salary, too. If a lockdown requires your people to stay at home for a few weeks, then you continue providing whatever income and health benefits you can – on the basis that your teams will meet their shortfall in hours when they return.

You also commit yourself to inspire rather than chide them wherever possible. You recognize their special talents rather than their failings. You acknowledge their contributions more than their shortfalls. Moreover, you encourage regular success celebrations, even if that has to be done within a virtual setting – get team members to orchestrate regular events that appeal to them in a prudent and fun way.

 » Your Leadership – Do you provide the leadership that inspires your people rather than fixate on management that drives them? Start by demonstrating that it’s more about your people’s success rather than your own success. Include them, wherever you can, in important decisions – especially ones on resource allocation, such that they will buy-into most of the hard choices. Option solving is a great decision tool for this, where you can draw upon the “wisdom of the crowd.” Be prepared to admit mistakes and encourage your people to help put things right.

Share as much of the load as is practicable, so that you can all sustain yourselves for as long as is necessary. Be honest and straightforward about set-backs and gains to encourage ongoing commit-ment. Bring a sense of humor to the situation wherever possible, although face tough realities when-ever necessary.

Above all, be a great listener more than a glib talker. Genuine listening often times gains respect, whereas too much talk can more often earn disrespect.

Although this commentary is not meant to be all-inclusive, it’s a reminder of the three key elements that underscore the health of your organization during our challenging pandemic times and beyond. Remember that, although a degree of management – systems and process activities – is required to keep your venture stable and efficient during challenging times; it requires leadership – people and progress activities – to sustain morale and momentum over the long haul.

To learn more about building momentum, talk with: