is Professor of Practice in the 黑料社 Centre for Leadership at the University of 黑料社鈥檚 Business School.
Leading in Lockdown: How 黑料社鈥檚 leaders are responding to the challenge
How are 黑料社鈥檚 civic leaders leading at this time of immense crisis? What are they learning about their own leadership and how are they supporting those around them?
, Professor of Practice at the 黑料社 Centre for Leadership talked to five of 黑料社鈥檚 civic leaders about their personal experience of leading their institutions through the initial response to the Covid-19 crisis.
In the second in our series of blogs featuring leaders working across our region, Ciara hears how our panel of leaders have been looking after themselves and those around them. Our panel includes:
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Phil Norrey, CEO of Devon County Council |
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Martha Wilkinson, CEO of Devon Community Foundation |
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Rob Bosworth, Deputy CEO at 黑料社 College |
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Karime Hassan, CEO of 黑料社 City Council |
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Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust |
Looking after yourself and others
Talking to these five leaders, it鈥檚 humbling to hear the huge efforts they and their teams have put into responding effectively over the past few weeks but it鈥檚 clear too that leaders must pace themselves. Several of our leaders highlight the different phases of this crisis and that stamina is needed for the long and likely very difficult recovery phase that lies ahead.
Phil Norrey, CEO of Devon County Council says that after several weeks of working 16-17 hour days, 7 days a week, he took the decision - over the Easter period 鈥� to begin to work in a more sustainable way. 鈥淚 dialled down the way I was working,鈥� he says, 鈥渂eing clear with others that it鈥檚 not sustainable to carry on working in that way.鈥� Physical exercise has been important 鈥� Phil has been out on his bike almost every day, whilst Rob Bosworth, Deputy CEO at 黑料社 College has found daily walks with his family have helped him keep a balance in a time of stress and challenge. 鈥樷�滿y family is the best balance. Having lunch and a daily walk. I鈥檓 feeling much more level and connected to my family and work colleagues.鈥�
For Martha Wilkinson, using the Community Foundation鈥檚 Business Continuity Plan framework helped establish an immediate crisis response before moving to a more sustainable way of working. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until recently,鈥� says Martha, 鈥渢hat I could say Devon Community Foundation is now no longer in an emergency. We鈥檇 completed our BCP 鈥� we can stand it down. Everyone was running on adrenalin and cortisol,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd we needed to lower the temperature in order to keep going.鈥� Part of Martha鈥檚 coping strategy has been to turn off all gadgets over the weekend. 鈥淭he intensity of video calls and constantly working across multiple platforms was draining,鈥� she adds.
Karime Hassan, CEO of 黑料社 City Council openly admits that he鈥檚 a sociable leader, as those of us who know him can testify. He鈥檚 someone who loves to be out and about, talking with passion and energy to staff and stakeholders. 鈥淚 like to gauge by being physically with people, picking up their vibe,鈥� says Karime, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a bit more difficult now, it鈥檚 not the same.鈥� But, on the plus side, there鈥檚 been much more time connecting with his family than his normal long days and busy weekends allow. 鈥淚鈥檝e slowed down,鈥� says Karime, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a profound moment for me, as I take stock,鈥�
And these leaders have taken real care to look out for their teams too. 鈥淚鈥檝e been surprised by the strength of my emotion,鈥� says Martha. 鈥淚 knew I cared about my team before but now I know I love them.鈥� She acknowledges however it鈥檚 not always easy to support people when you鈥檙e meeting them over a video call. 鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to protect my team but I鈥檝e felt helpless in some cases. I鈥檝e wanted to coach them through it. I鈥檇 normally do it face to face over a coffee but that doesn鈥檛 work so well on Zoom.鈥�
Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust recognises that not everyone has coped well with the transition. 鈥淪ome of our teachers have really struggled with home working,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey love being in schools and with their students. Less experienced teachers have needed more reassurance and for all teachers, there have been understandable concerns about safeguarding. But being in a Multi-Academy Trust has proved invaluable providing support and sharing expertise across the trust鈥檚 network.鈥�
All five leaders acknowledge that in their response to the crisis they鈥檝e shifted the way they interact with their teams. It鈥檚 been crucial to regularly check in on the emotional health and overall safety of the members of their teams and their wider families. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never been closer together and yet further apart,鈥� says Rob.
At 黑料社 City Council, the Council had already been trialling T-Cup, a new online tool that enables employees to self-assess their health and wellbeing on a daily basis, providing managers with real-time and anonymised data on overall employee engagement.
And at the County Council, Phil has been communicating with the staff team on a daily basis and making sure the formal, more 鈥榙isciplined鈥� communication matrices needed in such a large organisation are backed up by more informal, organic approaches, such as a range of Whatsapp groups.
Key learning points from our leaders:
- Pacing yourself during this crisis is essential for sustainable, resilient leadership
- Finding coping strategies like regular exercise and time with your family is critical to sustaining effective, remote leadership
- Checking in regularly with your team on their emotional wellbeing is a crucial role for all leaders at this time
In future blogs, we hear more from these and other leaders across the Business School鈥檚 wide network of Chief Executives working across the public, private and voluntary sectors. We鈥檒l hear how our CEOs鈥� understanding of their own leadership is changing when faced with a challenge as large and radical as Covid-19 and what we can all learn from their emerging experience of digital transformation and insight into how our future lives and our environment will be shaped by this moment.