Most of us have had to adapt to the transition from an in-person world to a virtual environment, and that includes students and teachers. In last week’s Virtual Voices, we heard from leaders in education on how they are keeping their students and staff motivated and what opportunities they are seeing as a result of this pandemic.
Virtual Voices aims to keep alums informed and engaged as our community works through this challenging time. Each virtual meeting brings together leaders on the front lines of impacted industries to share their knowledge, perspectives and leadership lessons.
Dr. Janine Davidson, president of MSU Denver, Genia Herndon, associate vice chancellor of student and community engagements for University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, and Rich Martinez, president and CEO of Young Americans Bank, shared their insights with our alums on how they’re navigating COVID-19.
Check out our key takeaways and the video of the webinar below.
Crowdsource ideas. Focus on the data and communicate the facts to your team. Once you communicate the realities, create an “idea catcher” to bring your team together and find solutions. Your team is in this with you and working together to find a solution is empowering for everyone.
There’s no playbook. We’ve all had to adapt to the new normal of virtual learning and leadership. Remember that there’s no playbook and that we’re all figuring out the new normal together. Create processes that work for your team, try them out and be okay with adjusting if need be.
Leadership matters more than location. The techniques for how you lead has changed, but your leadership principles haven’t. Be sure to make time and provide support. You may not be able to walk down the hall to chat with your team, but you can still check in. At the end of the day, organizations are made up of people, so find ways to engage your team and bring light into the unknown.
Build white space into the day. This pandemic is stressful, it’s uncertain and it’s taking a toll. Giving your team time to recharge and focus on their mental health is important. It creates trust and allows for people to slow down. Leaders have the opportunity to show that it’s OK to pause and breathe. If you do it, your team will feel comfortable to do the same.
Find the silver lining. This crisis is laying bare our societal inequities – from mental health to digital access. The silver lining is that more people are seeing these inequities and our community can work together to find solutions.
Support our students. Educators who are focusing on their students rather than the traditional education system are seeing success. Our business community can do the same whether it’s through mentorships or virtual internships. We have an opportunity to innovate how we provide opportunities for students and help them navigate the uncertainties of entering the workforce during this time.
Join us for an upcoming Virtual Voices. Check out our upcoming programs.
