Letting go of Control

As we have entered the sixth week of working and being at home during Covid-19 I have heard many people realizing that they do not have as much control on life, events, and/or situations that they thought they did. Leadership is often the same way. We can have the best laid vision, strategy, and plan, but sometimes outside forces take over like this pandemic did our lives.

So what can we learn from this situation? 

• Plan, but be prepared to flex - flexibility, adaptability, and openness to change is critical for any leader to embrace. While we can think through a strategy, put in place a plan, and even risk mitigation strategies, some situations we may never anticipate. Have the ability to adapt, react quickly, and not stay too stuck in the past when change occurs. 
• Get the best minds in your organizations together - Continually ask yourselves questions like what have we not anticipated and how can we deal with it? Working together with your teams you can often figure out things together that you may not have thought about on your own and you let go of the control as a leader and open it up to a brain trust which is broader and wider than you had just on your own.
• Anticipate risks - while we may not have been able to anticipate this pandemic, other situations you may be able to do so. Think through risks and how to mitigate them. And then also know that you may face things that you never anticipated and will need to adjust.
• Remain in the present - the more you stay in the present moment, the more you can make good decisions and react to the changes going on around you. If you are stuck in regret of the past (like how come we didn't anticipate this) or worried about the future (such as losing out on finances) then you are not being creative in the present moment. Take a walk, meditate, do something which gets your mind very focused in the now and your mind can come up with rational and logical answers.

What are you learning about letting go of control during these times?