For some leaders, the Covid-19 pandemic was initially freeing: no longer tied down by budget constraints and market expectations, they were driven by a desire to act — fast and often. Priorities became clear. Energy was high. A few weeks later, however, this adrenaline-fueled pace sputtered. Bickering among colleagues increased. Decisions became stalled and more complex. This shift, from the emergency phase of a crisis to a regression phase, is uncomfortable but necessary. To equip your team to move from emergency to regression to recovery, focus on three steps: Disrupt your team to create a new “day one”; learn how to calibrate your team’s emotions; and aim beyond business as usual to find a new way your business can contribute to society and find meaning.
In these difficult times, we’ve made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. To get all of HBR’s content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.
“I hate to say this right now, but I haven’t felt this energized in years,” one CEO I advise admitted to me during the first week of Covid-19 stay-at-home orders.
