Zaina Orbai is the Chief People Officer at The RealReal.
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This year challenged leaders to be agile, adaptable and resilient on a whim. It forced us to find comfort in uncertain times, find unity in the face of injustice, find connection in isolation and find happiness at home. It was a year full of competing tensions within families and communities. It was a year of unevenness and awareness.
In the workplace, safety, trust and empathy took center stage; 2021 will be a critical year to revitalize people, teams, companies and communities around the world. Where do we begin?
The pace of change will continue to accelerate this year. As a people-first leader who has worked at high-growth companies such as Yelp and The RealReal, I’ve observed successful leaders apply valuable practices to thrive in rapidly changing environments. The mindset leaders adopt will define the future we rebuild together.
Be Honest
As the world sped up, it left many of us feeling dizzy and unsettled. How many times did you ask yourself, “Am I losing my mind?” Some days it was after reading something jarring in the news, other days it was learning about the compounded grief being experienced by a close friend. Even more contemplation came after realizing that I literally hadn’t moved from the same chair for 10 hours and spent the entire day talking to a screen. The year 2020 has left us all feeling a bit exhausted, to say the least. Give yourself permission to rest, restore and re-energize. Don’t forget to check your fuel tank. Is it empty? How will you refuel?
Uplift And Empower
We are in a time of fragility — be it physical, emotional, mental or financial. As leaders, we will need to shift our organization from fragility to strength. While 2020 was challenging, 2021 will be a defining year. The journey we take to cope with loss, grief and disappointment to move forward will matter. It’s important to remember that everyone handles stress and recovery differently. Be sure to start an open, two-way dialogue with your team. As leaders, we need to mend the distress in our disrupted ecosystems and reduce friction to create space for people to rise. This will require us to remove roadblocks and build new bridges to support our people and teams as we collectively navigate our way through ambiguity.
Build Momentum And Set Pace
While many of us had hoped to return to our normal lives quickly, for me, married to and living with a scientist, it was clear this pandemic was going to be the longest triathlon we would face in our lifetime. It will continue to test our stamina in such a way that leaders must ensure teams build resilience, don’t collapse and come out stronger.
In a tech-powered world, we are all surrounded with more data than we know what to do with and the fear of losing out sometimes takes over our better judgment. At times, moving fast is the best decision; but at other times, intentionally choosing to take a longer route or go slower may be a smarter strategy to hit a bigger goal on the horizon. Similarly, you can apply this to managing a project, team or your own career. Keep a focused eye on your long-term goal and set a pace that you and your teams can sustain over multiple highs and lows. Hustle when you need to and recover your energy when it makes sense to avoid large setbacks. So manage yourself and others wisely – pace yourself.
Think And Act Intentionally
People are seeking clarity and stability in times of change. As leaders, clarity helps you find purpose in your actions and lead with authenticity and conviction. Clarity creates confidence, which in turn inspires others to reciprocate and unlock new ways of working. These new ways of working will create collective behavior, action and impact.
The way we choose to reflect and grow from 2020 will shape the stories we remember and influence who we all become. The way we approach 2021 will set the foundation of our transformed future.
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