How To Bring Positivity During A Crisis Like COVID-19/Coronavirus

Tough times begin to wear on people. That’s been the truth for many people lately.

Layoffs. Job terminations. Trying to keep the business afloat.

So much stress has been placed on the shoulders of leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is heavy. It hurts. And leaders are struggling to stay positive.

Staying positive during a crisis might seem like someone struggling to keep their head above water. Or maybe they’re trying to hold a sparkler above their head while sinking… It doesn’t make sense. But it does…

Man holding a sparkler above water while he sinks

Photo by Kristopher Roller

I’ve noticed something. Those impacted by the layoffs and job terminations are trying their best to stay positive. It brings a smile to my face to see what the average person is doing. What they’re doing is above average. It might even be considered leader-like.

How To Bring Positivity During A Crisis Like COVID-19/Coronavirus

Make something fun:

The first thing I had seen people doing was sidewalk chalk art. Yeah, it seems silly but it brings smiles to people’s faces. Homeowners and renters are doing fun things with sidewalk chalk in an effort to make people happy.

These people didn’t have to decorate their sidewalks. They could have left them plain. Yet they knew decorated sidewalks could bring hope and a smile to people passing by.

You can do something similar. You can make something fun and share it with your team.

Maybe you create a collage of fun memories from your organization. Or you could create a silly YouTube video thanking your team and letting them know you’re thinking of them.

Bring positivity to those you lead through creativity. Remind them why they chose your organization and your organization chose them!

Create messages of hope:

Lok and I ran down to Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Michigan for one of our long runs. We’re able to make it there, swing around a park, and head home. It’s a beautiful run. It was also a run that reminded me people need to see messages of hope.

As we ran past the devastated shoreline, we saw rocks the city had brought in to stop the water from overtaking the street. On these rocks, there were pieces of driftwood. The driftwood had words written on them.

I snapped a picture of one that resonated with me. The message of hope said

I am with you always – Matthew 28:20

I am with you always written on a piece of driftwood near Lake Michigan

There were other messages… There were messages telling people to smile. To keep on keeping on. That things will get better.

Those who are struggling are sharing messages of hope through a simple message on a piece of driftwood.

Leaders can share messages of hope too. They can encourage their team members that they will be back to work. They can let their team know they’re working on ways to get through this tough time.

Bring positivity to those you lead by creating messages of hope. Let your team know there is a future!

Be generous

In times of crisis, it seems prudent to tighten the purse strings. To be less generous.

I’ve found this to be a logical fallacy. Our minds tell us it is true. It tells us we can’t afford to continue to pay our people, to give to those in need, or to take care of our responsibilities.

As faith-based leaders, we’ve got to turn this narrative on its head.

We have to be generous in times of crisis. Our generosity helps people to feel less afraid. I’ve also found generosity does something special.

When we are generous in a crisis, our generosity is rewarded. What we give out comes back.

Bring positivity to others by being generous during a crisis. What you give will not return void.

It is possible to stay positive and bring that positivity to others during a crisis. Moreso, I think it is a calling of a leader to do so. When you bring positivity to a crisis, you and those you lead are able to make it through the crisis.

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