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Session content starts at about the 22 minute mark

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Tips, tricks, and best practices for creating a thriving team culture and conducting meaningful team meetings.

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Record your responses to the reflection prompts in your journal.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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How to start an empathy revolution: Roman Krznaric at TEDxAthens 2013

Transcriber: Ivana Korom Reviewer: Helena Galani

0:00

17:14

0:00 / 17:14•Watch full video

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How to start an empathy revolution: Roman Krznaric at TEDxAthens 2013

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RLA Teams with contact info

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Oct. 23, 2020

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Please complete the pre-work prior to our second session on Nov. 6.

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11.6 Identify & Inclusive Leadership Prework

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If you know someone who would benefit from RLA, please provide their info below!

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Create a new spreadsheet and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Sheets to edit Excel files. Free from Google.

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Learn what you can do as a leader to ensure your remote team communicates efficiently online!

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Running Virtual Meetings with Prof. Lindy Greer

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Learn more about the RLA team and how we will support you throughout the year.

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Get to know your fellow RLA cohort members by watching their intros videos.

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Intentionally guide yourself on a leadership learning journey.

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Learn to Lead

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the first top-tier business school to offer a self-guided leadership coaching program. We believe that leadership is a skill that anyone can learn. Each day offers numerous opportunities to learn, practice, refine, and reflect on your current and desired leadership skills. To truly transform as a leader, you will need to intentionally guide yourself on a growth journey through these different experiences.

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Sanger Leadership Journey - Sanger Leadership Center

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The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the first top-tier business school to offer a self-guided leadership coaching program. We believe that leadership is a skill that anyone can learn. Each day offers numerous opportunities to learn, practice, refine, and reflect on your current and desired leadership skills.

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Leader Behavior Encyclopedia - Sanger Leadership Center

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Our encyclopedia is designed to help students and researchers identify evidenced-based leader behaviors from the top scholarly journals. The behaviors can be used to help reach goals in the Sanger Leadership Journey. Please note, this tool has just launched in August 2020 and is in beta mode.

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RLA Class of 2021

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Meet your team!

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8 Ways to Stay Calm in the Midst of Chaos

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8 Ways to Stay Calm in the Midst of Chaos

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By: Kevin Daum

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It's the nature of business to create panic and chaos. Everyone dreams of a company that runs smoothly and efficiently, but ambitious entrepreneurs, managers and salespeople can't help but push for speed. Rather than slow down on a product release or turn down a customer or two until processes are ready, decisions are made that tax resources and send teams into a frenzy.

Whether you are the chaos creator or just caught in the fray, the best way you can bring sanity back to your team is to be an island of stability. It's harder than it sounds when people are running and screaming with their hair on fire, so here are 8 tips for smooth sailing.

When things get hectic and excited, people tend to abandon what they're doing so they can try to put out fires. Certainly problem issues need to be addressed, but if you totally abandon your regular responsibilities, you'll create new problems and more chaos. Assess and prioritize issues within the context of your current workload. Communicate honestly with customers and superiors so you can manage their expectations. Better to tell the truth up front so you can accomplish most of what's needed than to let everything fall apart when no one expects it.

A craze of activity can act like a magnet pulling more people into the mix and raising the level of chaos. Don't become a bigger part of the problem by jumping into the fray. Excuse yourself for a bit so you can step outside and regain your objectivity. Even if you stay at your desk, take a mental break with a short distraction. This will let you think through solutions for settling things down. Then you can address your colleagues or employees calmly.

There is a saying among race car drivers: slow in the cockpit equals fast on the track. When you're going too quickly, carelessness is bound to occur, making an already chaotic situation much worse. Encourage your team to slow down the pace just enough so they can be methodical and careful. Hyperventilation never helps anyone, so take a few deep breaths and relax. If everyone stays focused and steady, much more can be accomplished in less time, making everyone more comfortable.
4. Identify and Manage Your Stress Points
If all the people on the team have reached the breaking point, then the whole place is sure to blow. You can't take care of everyone else, but you can surely manage your own stress. Practice self-awareness. Know what pushes your buttons and prepare for the inevitable by monitoring your stress level. Disengage before you get past the point of no return. Be open with others about what drives up your blood pressure so they can avoid a blow up and help keep things happy.

Often chaos starts unnecessarily and builds momentum because people leap into action without consideration. Soon they are racing around screaming without thinking about whether there was actually a need for panic. No matter your position, you can be the voice of reason. Call for a momentary halt to the chaos, and quickly explain that 5 minutes of contemplation and calm discussion will help everyone be better organized. Then apply necessary measures to achieve the required objectives. If words aren't enough, bring in some food, which usually gets everyone's attention. Over pizza or cookies, you can help everyone assess the situation and define clear roles and actions.

Some situations spiral out of control because people only focus on the difficulty in their specific area. In many cases, the problem doesn't impact a large portion of the business, yet a sense of urgency travels throughout the team. Take a hard look at the repercussions of the problem as it relates to the big picture. Once you assess the potential fallout, isolate the issue to only those affected people so everyone else can go about their business.
7. Control What You Can Control
When the world is in a panic, you can't afford any effort to be wasted. Most likely there are issues beyond your reach. No need to waste valuable energy on those problems. Identify and resolve the issues you can solve quickly and efficiently first, so you have more resources later to calmly confront the bigger, more difficult problems.

Attitude is half the battle in a chaotic situation. High-stress teams dealing in trauma and emergencies are able to maintain not only their cool but also their humanity. They don't dismiss the seriousness of the situation; they simply relax and smile in a comforting (not fake) manner. With a simple honest smile, you can put yourself and others at ease and let everyone focus on the work rather than the emotion.
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8 Ways to Stay Calm in the Midst of Chaos

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It's the nature of business to create panic and chaos. Everyone dreams of a company that runs smoothly and efficiently, but ambitious entrepreneurs, managers and salespeople can't help but push for speed. Rather than slow down on a product release or turn down a customer or two until processes are ready, decisions are made that tax resources and send teams into a frenzy.

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How to Fight Stress: Learn Something New

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How to Fight Stress: Learn Something New

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By: Dave Mayer

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How do you cope with stress at work? Maybe you simply decide to power through it, or maybe you like to take a break and try to refresh your mind?

Those typical solutions might not be the most effective options, according to a new article in Harvard Business Review. Research by Michigan Ross Professor David Mayer and his colleagues concluded that a third, perhaps counterintuitive, solution works better: Focus on learning.

Mayer conducted the research and coauthored the paper with two former PhD students at Michigan Ross, Chen Zhang and Chris Myers.

"This can mean picking up a new skill, gathering new information, or seeking out intellectual challenges," the researchers write. "In two recent research projects, one with employees from a variety of industries and organizations, and the other with medical residents, we found evidence that engaging in learning activities can buffer workers from detrimental effects of stress including negative emotions, unethical behavior, and burnout."
David Mayer is a professor of management and organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Chen Zhang is an assistant professor of leadership and organization management at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management. Christopher G. Myers is an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University on the faculty of the Carey Business School, School of Medicine, and Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety & Quality.
Media contact: MichiganRossPR@umich.edu

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How to Fight Stress: Learn Something New

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How do you cope with stress at work? Maybe you simply decide to power through it, or maybe you like to take a break and try to refresh your mind? Those typical solutions might not be the most effective options, according to a new article in Harvard Business Review .

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Is This Crisis Disrupting Your Core Values? Here's How to Refocus

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Is This Crisis Disrupting Your Core Values? Here's How to Refocus

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By: Jeff Domagala

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Core values give life definition, provide clarity, and serve as a compass helping to navigate how to move forward. Values seem easy to live when life is easy and we're in a state of flow.

When we're in challenging times, we often forget that our values can serve as a guiding post for how to navigate the toughest moments. With many of us affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been easy to disconnect from what is core to us.

Let's face it-it's been tough. Many people have been forced to work from home, university classes have been moved online and businesses are shutting down. You might feel stuck at home with nothing to do. Our lives have been disrupted. Naturally, this may leave you feeling anxious and in fear. Maybe it's because the things you value are missing.

It's times like these that allow us to get in touch with what matters most. Whether you realize it or not, every moment of every day you are making decisions on how to spend your time. Are those actions in alignment with the things that are most important?

Here's an opportunity to reflect based on where you currently are:

1. What are your top five core values? If you're unsure, check out James Clear's list . Clear recommends choosing your top five. (Hint: if you have more than five, are they really priorities?)

2. How would you define each of them?

3. What actions can you take right now to live in alignment to each?

There are many ways in which we can live more consciously and in alignment with what matters most. Here are a few ways to be more mindful about staying congruent:

Read your values to yourself in the morning when you wake up.

Ask yourself "What would it look like to live in alignment with my values today?"

Write your values down and put them in a place where you can see them daily.

Change the background of your phone or computer to be your values or something that reminds you of them.

Give yourself space and time to do activities that allow you to live your values.

Share your values with those that matter most to keep the conversation alive.

Do not let your current circumstances stop you from living your values. Use this opportunity for goal setting and putting your values at the forefront of your life. Who knows, you might learn a thing or two about yourself. There's no better time than now.

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Is This Crisis Disrupting Your Core Values? Here's How to Refocus

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Core values give life definition, provide clarity, and serve as a compass helping to navigate how to move forward. Values seem easy to live when life is easy and we're in a state of flow. When we're in challenging times, we often forget that our values can serve as a guiding post for how to navigate the toughest moments.

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I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share

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I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share

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Take it from someone who couldn't: Go outside.
By: Scott Kelley

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Take it from someone who couldn't: Go outside.

By

Mr. Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the International Space Station.

Scott Kelly inside a Soyuz simulator at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, in preparation for travel to the International Space Station. Credit... Bill Ingalls/NASA

Being stuck at home can be challenging. When I lived on the International Space Station for nearly a year, it wasn't easy. When I went to sleep, I was at work. When I woke up, I was still at work. Flying in space is probably the only job you absolutely cannot quit.

But I learned some things during my time up there that I'd like to share - because they are about to come in handy again, as we all confine ourselves at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Here are a few tips on living in isolation, from someone who has been there.
Follow a schedule
On the space station, my time was scheduled tightly, from the moment I woke up to when I went to sleep. Sometimes this involved a spacewalk that could last up to eight hours; other times, it involved a five-minute task, like checking on the experimental flowers I was growing in space. You will find maintaining a plan will help you and your family adjust to a different work and home life environment. When I returned to Earth, I missed the structure it provided and found it hard to live without.
But pace yourself
When you are living and working in the same place for days on end, work can have a way of taking over everything if you let it. Living in space, I deliberately paced myself because I knew I was in it for the long haul - just like we all are today. Take time for fun activities: I met up with crewmates for movie nights, complete with snacks, and binge-watched all of "Game of Thrones"- twice.

And don't forget to include in your schedule a consistent bedtime. NASA scientists closely study astronauts' sleep when we are in space, and they have found that quality of sleep relates to cognition, mood, and interpersonal relations - all essential to getting through a mission in space or a quarantine at home.
Go outside
One of the things I missed most while living in space was being able to go outside and experience nature. After being confined to a small space for months, I actually started to crave nature - the color green, the smell of fresh dirt, and the feel of warm sun on my face. That flower experiment became more important to me than I could have ever imagined. My colleagues liked to play a recording of Earth sounds, like birds and rustling trees, and even mosquitoes, over and over. It brought me back to earth. (Although occasionally I found myself swatting my ears at the mosquitoes. )

For an astronaut, going outside is a dangerous undertaking that requires days of preparation, so I appreciate that in our current predicament, I can step outside any time I want for a walk or a hike - no spacesuit needed. Research has shown that spending time in nature is beneficial for our mental and physical health, as is exercise. You don't need to work out two and a half hours a day, as astronauts on the space station do, but getting moving once a day should be part of your quarantine schedule (just stay at least six feet away from others).
You need a hobby
When you are confined in a small space you need an outlet that isn't work or maintaining your environment.

Some people are surprised to learn I brought books with me to space. The quiet and absorption you can find in a physical book - one that doesn't ping you with notifications or tempt you to open a new tab - is priceless. Many small bookstores are currently offering curbside pickup or home delivery service, which means you can support a local business while also cultivating some much-needed unplugged time.

You can also practice an instrument (I just bought a digital guitar trainer online), try a craft, or make some art. Astronauts take time for all of these while in space. (Remember Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's famous cover of David Bowie's Space Oddity?)
Keep a journal
NASA has been studying the effects of isolation on humans for decades, and one surprising finding they have made is the value of keeping a journal. Throughout my yearlong mission, I took the time to write about my experiences almost every day. If you find yourself just chronicling the days' events (which, under the circumstances, might get repetitive) instead try describing what you are experiencing through your five senses or write about memories. Even if you don't wind up writing a book based on your journal like I did, writing about your days will help put your experiences in perspective and let you look back later on what this unique time in history has meant.
Take time to connect
Even with all the responsibilities of serving as commander of a space station, I never missed the chance to have a videoconference with family and friends. Scientists have found that isolation is damaging not only to our mental health, but to our physical health as well, especially our immune systems. Technology makes it easier than ever to keep in touch, so it's worth making time to connect with someone every day - it might actually help you fight off viruses.
Listen to experts
I've found that most problems aren't rocket science, but when they are rocket science, you should ask a rocket scientist. Living in space taught me a lot about the importance of trusting the advice of people who knew more than I did about their subjects, whether it was science, engineering, medicine, or the design of the incredibly complex space station that was keeping me alive.

Especially in a challenging moment like the one we are living through now, we have to seek out knowledge from those who know the most about it and listen to them. Social media and other poorly vetted sources can be transmitters of misinformation just as handshakes transmit viruses, so we have to make a point of seeking out reputable sources of facts, like the World Health Organization and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
We are all connected
Seen from space, the Earth has no borders. The spread of the coronavirus is showing us that what we share is much more powerful than what keeps us apart, for better or for worse. All people are inescapably interconnected, and the more we can come together to solve our problems, the better off we will all be.

One of the side effects of seeing Earth from the perspective of space, at least for me, is feeling more compassion for others. As helpless as we may feel stuck inside our homes, there are always things we can do - I've seen people reading to children via videoconference, donating their time and dollars to charities online, and running errands for elderly or immuno-compromised neighbors. The benefits for the volunteer are just as great as for those helped.

I've seen humans work together to prevail over some of the toughest challenges imaginable, and I know we can prevail over this one if we all do our part and work together as a team.

Oh, and wash your hands - often.

Scott Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the International Space Station.
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Opinion | I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share

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Take it from someone who couldn't: Go outside. By Mr. Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the International Space Station. Being stuck at home can be challenging. When I lived on the International Space Station for nearly a year, it wasn't easy.

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The six signature traits of inclusive leadership

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The six signature traits of inclusive leadership

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By: Bernadette Dillon & Juliet Bourke (Deloitte Human Capital)

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The six signature traits of inclusive leadership By Juliet Bourke, Bernadette Dillon

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If you have relevant resources such as articles, books, or podcasts you'd like to share with the rest of the cohort, please add them to the spreadsheet below!

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Six Signature Behaviors of an Inclusive Leader

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Six Signature Behaviors of an Inclusive Leader

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Use this worksheet to go deeper on your values

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Use this example of a life statement to help you craft & organize your own life statement.

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Use this example of a life statement to help you craft & organize your own life statement.

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The science of empathy.

(Hands: Shutterstock | Atticus Finch: Universal Pictures)

The facts about those feelings:

What science tells us about empathy.

1. Cognitive

The ability to know how the other person feels and what they might be thinking. This kind of empathy is also known as "perspective-taking."
Pros: Helpful when making negotiations or when trying to motivate people. Managers who are good at perspective-taking can move workers to give their best efforts.
Cons: Can be clinical and detached; people can use it to their advantage without really caring for the other person. Narcissists and sociopaths use it to actually hurt others.

2. Emotional (or Affective)

The ability to physically feel what others feel, as though their emotions were contagious. Uses brain cells called mirror neurons, which create an "echo" of another's emotions inside our own minds.
Pros: Attunes us to another person's inner emotional world, a plus for a wide range of professions, from sales to nursing-not to mention for any parent or lover.
Cons: An inability to manage one's own distressing emotions can lead to paralysis and psychological exhaustion-a liability for first responders and medical professionals, who need the ability to "detach," so they can work professionally and objectively.

A New View of Empathy

In a fractured world, can we hack our own sense of empathy and get others to become more empathic? Jamil Zaki, a psychology professor at Stanford, addresses that question, and more, in this fascinating TED talk.

Empathy: There's an App for That

When her own research indicated that, in recent decades, young people were becoming less and less empathetic, Sara Konrath decided to do something about it.
So Konrath, assistant research professor at the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan, knew that empathy was teachable, and her team created an interactive app for developing empathy in children.
The result is Random Act of Kindness, which includes a series of games and exercises to help nudge kids toward more empathy. See a preview here.
Download for IOS | Download for Android

Sources:
Spreng, R. N., McKinnon, M. C., Mar, R. A., & Levine, B. (2009). "The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire." Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(1), 62-71.
Davis, M. H. (1980). "A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy." JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85.

BUT . . . is empathy always good?

Empathy is

fundamentally, from a moral standpoint,

a bad thing.

It makes the world worse.

So says Paul Bloom, a professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale. He explains here:

22 Great Movies About Empathy

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The science of empathy. (Hands: Shutterstock | Atticus Finch: Universal Pictures) The facts about those feelings: What science tells us about empathy. The ability to know how the other person feels and what they might be thinking. This kind of empathy is also known as "perspective-taking."

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Demonstrating corporate purpose in the time of coronavirus

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Demonstrating corporate purpose in the time of coronavirus

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McKinsey & Company

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What should a company's purpose be when the purpose of so many, right now, is survival? For years, enlightened executives have sought the sweet spot between their responsibility to maximize profits on behalf of shareholders and their desire to find a purpose across environment, social, and governance (ESG) themes on behalf of a broad range of stakeholders, including customers, employees, and communities. Then COVID-19 came. As businesses large and small shut their doors, and millions retreat to enforced isolation, the magnitude of the coronavirus crisis confronts corporate leaders with the economic challenge of a lifetime. It also demands of them a moment of existential introspection: What defines their company's purpose-its core reason for being and its impact on the world?

In boardrooms real and virtual, frantic questions have the floor. How long will this last? How will we pay furloughed workers? What are our peers doing? What should we do first? Global corporations have never had as much power as they do right now to leverage their scale to benefit society in a time of global crisis. Executives have also never had a more intense spotlight trained on their behaviors and actions. In moments of crisis, the default expectation is that businesses will hunker down and focus on bottom-line fundamentals. Indeed, many CEOs feel constrained to making defensive moves to protect their businesses. But in this crisis, stakeholder needs are already so acute that the opportunity for businesses to make an indelible mark with human support, empathy, and purpose is greater than it has ever been.

Lessons from the past loom large. During what feels like a war, the words and images of wartime leaders echo in our consciousness as icons of resilience and human concern. In previous periods of economic shock, executives' actions, both good and bad, lodged in company histories and forged perceptions that have endured for years. Decisions made during this crisis will likewise shape a corporation's identity and tell a story that will leave traces long after COVID-19 has been quelled.

In this crisis, executives will choose either to stay on the sidelines or to engage and, if engaging, either to lead or to follow. Those who have carefully honed a sense of company purpose will find a foundation and set of values that can guide critical and decisive action. For others, this moment can represent the first steps toward defining their corporate purpose in a deliberate way. Is this the moment when purposeful companies demonstrate how to use profits for good or that shows how everything a company does can be for good?

As boardrooms become war rooms, a handful of principles can help guide executives in shaping a critical course of action and building a powerful sense of identity and purpose that will long outlast the immediate crisis.

Understand how acute your stakeholders' needs are now

Examine exactly what is at stake for your employees, communities, customers, partners, and owners. All will have urgent, rapidly evolving needs that you should fully understand and prioritize. Some of these needs will be new and require creative thinking. Listen carefully to stakeholders that are well placed to inform you. Among grocers, for example, the needs of employees, customers, and service to broader society often stand front and center. Nonetheless, stories of some grocers gouging prices have surfaced as the crisis has intensified. Others, such as Canadian grocer Loblaws, moved quickly, as physical-distancing measures spread, to open stores early for elderly shoppers while also increasing compensation for frontline workers and pledging to keep prices at prepandemic levels.

Prepare for tension, too, as trade-offs arise among stakeholder groups, each with their own important needs. For example, increasing the pay of frontline workers might raise the prospect of cutting back on supplier bills. For retailers and delivery services, shutting down warehouses temporarily to keep workers safe might mean customers have to wait longer for deliveries.

Bring your greatest strengths to bear

What strengths does your organization possess that you can apply to make the biggest difference for your stakeholders? A strong balance sheet might be the means to sustain workers through the crisis. A unique logistics network could be used to bring aid to people in need. A manufacturing facility could shift production to creating urgently needed medical supplies. Resist going it alone. Collaborate closely with your ecosystem of suppliers and customers-they might identify strengths you didn't even know you had.

Small businesses and large corporations alike are redeploying their capabilities to respond to this crisis: a wedding-dress boutique in New York responded to postponed orders by shifting to produce protective masks for healthcare workers, while French perfume makers have retooled to pump out hand sanitizer. Automobile and car-parts makers have turned to building ventilators. Past lessons can inform creative thinking: when rural Tanzania needed critical medical supplies in 2010, Coca-Cola used its extensive last-mile delivery system to reduce delivery times to five days, from 30. Stepping into the public sphere in the heat of a crisis can unleash unique synergies and creative solutions that will linger.

Collaborate closely with your ecosystem of suppliers and customers-they might identify strengths you didn't even know you had.

Test your decisions against your purpose

At a time of great uncertainty, "gut check" your decisions against your values as a leader and as an organization. Do your choices align with your identity? Everything you do now will be analyzed after the dust settles. Will your actions and identity be seen as consistent?

Communicate not only your decisions but also the rationale for them-and the trade-offs you considered-clearly. Can you explain decisions to skeptics? Will what you decided be a source of pride? In the financial-services industry, many bank executives report credit loss as their most acute concern, followed by liquidity and funding. But banks also have a long-standing social commitment to support households and businesses with credit. Banks that pull funds away during a crisis will be defining themselves for future interactions in the communities where they operate.

Finally, if you have embraced initiatives in ESG areas, don't borrow from one to support another-don't risk appearing to "rob Peter to pay Paul." The temptation may be to scale back environmental programs to support acute social needs better in this crisis. But beware of seeming to abandon deeply held stakeholder causes; supporters will have long memories.

Involve your employees in the solution

Any crisis provides an opportunity to build a common sense of purpose with your employees, who will be looking for leadership and ways to engage themselves. It can also deliver the benefit of bringing a new generation of leaders to the fore. It may be tempting to withdraw into small, tight decision-making task forces to make key decisions as quickly as possible. But purposeful leaders will want to share execution plans broadly with staff to solicit input and engage them on the challenges the organization faces-including the difficult trade-offs to be made.

Many employees and their families are suffering from isolation and loss of income, leaving them thinking about what is truly important. Crisis leaders' actions now can foster collective unity and a sense of belonging. When those decisions derive from the principles and purpose that an organization stands for it will make it easier to convey confidence in positive outcomes, even when decisions are painful ones.

Would you like to learn more about our Organization Practice?

There is also a benefit in drawing employees together to tackle problems in new ways. For example, forming cross-cutting teams to address problems can break the mold of years of siloed thinking. As Hurricane Katrina took its toll on the United States in 2005, Walmart stepped up to support disaster relief and asked some employees to deliver supplies in hard-to-reach areas. At the same time, the company guaranteed that all employees in disaster locations would keep their jobs at other locations during and after the disaster. When Hurricane Harvey landed in Houston in 2017, Texas Mutual Insurance took immediate steps to ensure the safety of its employees by shutting down its offices and providing supplies and company cars to affected staff. The company also supported its larger community, providing $10 million in grants to help policyholders rebuild.

Lead from the front

Leading in a crisis is never easy, but hard times leave the most indelible imprints on a company's identity. Credibility is a both essential and fragile element of effective leadership. In a recent McKinsey survey of US workers, 82 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents affirmed the importance of corporate purpose, but only 42 percent reported that their company's stated purpose had much effect. This is a cautionary tale about the generic nature of most companies' statements on identity but also the identification of an opportunity to surprise and sway skeptical stakeholders. Authentic actions will demonstrate to employees a company's genuine commitment to social purpose.

Communicate early and frequently, even with incomplete information. Remember that, right now, suffering stakeholders seek empathy but are also looking to leaders to face facts bluntly, without sugarcoating them. Stay nimble as situations change, which they certainly will. Adapt to changing conditions and new information rather than returning to a static playbook. Offer perspectives on today's crisis details, with a microscopic perspective to reassure stakeholders of competence. However, also take a telescopic view of what recovery may look like in the future. At some point, the COVID-19 crisis will pass. Households and companies alike will take stock of their losses and begin to rebuild. Acting in concert with the tenets of your organization's purpose will help balance these perspectives and demonstrate confidence in your company's ability to deliver a good outcome.

Executives are uniquely poised at this pivotal time to bring corporate power, guided by social purpose, to the aid of millions of dislodged and vulnerable lives. Done well, their actions in this crisis can bridge, in unprecedented ways, the divide between shareholders and stakeholders in the communities they serve-and leave a lasting, positive legacy on their corporate identity.

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Demonstrating corporate purpose in the time of coronavirus

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What should a company's purpose be when the purpose of so many, right now, is survival? For years, enlightened executives have sought the sweet spot between their responsibility to maximize profits on behalf of shareholders and their desire to find a purpose across environment, social, and governance (ESG) themes on behalf of a broad range of stakeholders, including customers, employees, and communities.

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Empathy Session Prework - Google Docs.pdf

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Coping with the Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

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Coping with the Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

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VideoCast will be undergoing scheduled maintenance on Saturday, Oct 3, starting at 9AM EDT UTC-04:00. During this time, Past Events will be unavailable. The maintenance is expected to last several hours.

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NIH VideoCast - Coping with the Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

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VideoCast will be undergoing scheduled maintenance on Saturday, Oct 3, starting at 9AM EDT UTC-04:00. During this time, Past Events will be unavailable. The maintenance is expected to last several hours. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.