For business managers, COVID was a tough challenge. As a leader, it’s easy for you to glamorize and idolize pre-COVID normal, to long for it, and wait for it to return before you get on with business. Don’t even try to get back to it – rise above normal.
Several years ago, I played the part of Cinderella’s stepmother in a community theater production of “Into the Woods.” After several people in the kingdom were killed by the giant, my beautiful step-daughters and I were driven out of the castle and into the woods. As we struggled, I delivered this line: “Life was so steady and now this. When are things going to return to normal?” That line always got a laugh, which struck me as funny.
That line always got a laugh, which struck me as funny.
Just like Cinderella’s stepmother, we crave stability. We long for things to return to normal, and we expect them to, and we wait for them to – even though we laugh at how ridiculous that sounds. Things are always changing. You have to be able to lead on the fly.
How would we grow, evolve, progress, or learn if normal was a consistent state? Normal is just a statistical or approximate average, a general level, a standard, or a common type. How stable. How boring! Why would you really want that? Aspire to more. Rise above normal. Here’s how:
- Talk with your team about your purpose – why your organization exists.
- Develop the leadership skills of your employees.
- Improve team skills in communication, teamwork, service, or conflict resolution.
- Show the people you work with how important they are to you.
- Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.
Rise above normal. Stop waiting for it to come back – it never will. There will never be the perfect time to carry on and now is good enough. You haven’t peaked yet!