Today we heard from Fred LeFranc, Chief Chaos Strategist at Results Through Strategy. Fred shared a helpful analogy for our current experience and the need for good leadership and conscious culture throughout the course of the Covid-19 crisis.

Here are the key takeaways from the webinar:

We are in a white water world, act accordingly.

In the world of rafting there are 5 classes of rapids. Class 1 is “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream;” it’s peaceful, it’s go with the flow, it’s low-stress. Class 5 is very different. There’s a really strong possibility you’re going to fall out of the raft; you could hit a boulder, you could get pushed under the water time and again. It’s beyond rough and it’s terrifying, but it is manageable if you follow the guidelines to stay alive – keep your helmet on, and make sure you have good people in the boat who are going to pull you back in. We’re in Class 5 white water right now, and you need to rely on your conscious leadership and culture to get the whole boat to safety. We have to take care of ourselves and our people as we continue to build upon our conscious cultures to create more connection and more trust so that we can all be there for each other when the water knocks us out of the boat.

We will pass through a number of stages before we get to the other side of this, and through this process we will identify opportunities to improve the way we do things.

In general, there are five stages of change: Loss, Doubt, Discomfort, Discovery, Understanding, and Integration. Most of us are in one of the early stages of change right now, but Fred encourages us to move past doubt and discomfort to discovery. Reminding us, “We have a choice about how we respond to this crisis.” There are benefits here: less pollution, more time with our families, more personal connection with our teams, etc. Once we enter the stage of discovery, we can start to move beyond the limiting conditions of this experience and imagine how we will be better on the other side. What do we want to see for our families, for our businesses, for our stakeholders, for our communities in the aftermath of this crisis; and how can we plan now to make that a reality? 

Use this moment as an opportunity to practice intentional leadership.

Circumstances don’t make the leader, they reveal them. How will you create your day and where will you focus your energy? What is your vision for where you, your business, your family, come out on the other end of this? There is an art to intentional leadership, it’s where humanity meets the organization and it’s represented across 4 areas: Mental, Emotional, Spiritual/Humanity, and Physical. We need to keep ourselves healthy and well in each of these areas if we are to lead with intention. Fred shared a few key elements of each:

• Mental – Be curious. Inform yourself – are there any alternative solutions? Ask for help. Seek other sources. Self-discipline is key – put yourself in a routine so your mind doesn’t wander.
• Emotional – Be courageous. Recognize your fear. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Allow yourself to be authentic.
• Spirituality/Humanity – Be present. Be intentional. Now is a great time to think about your Higher Purpose – How will you serve a purpose greater than yourself?
• Physical – Is your body in control of you, or are you in control of your body? Are you in a physical state to avoid infection? Can you maintain healthy practices?