Laura Goodrich leads remote leaders from around the world through managing teams during crisis. They discuss hypervigilance, leader exhaustion, and the routines and rituals that build resilience when everything feels urgent.
Chapters
Good morning, welcome. We are a small and mighty group, so I'm, I'm really grateful that you're here. I know I received 7 messages this morning from other ambassador leaders that said that something had really blown up in their business day so that they couldn't join in. So we have a small and mighty group that we come together for these conversations about remote leadership, and I'm grateful that you're here. I know that a couple more More will join us a bit late, but I'm— we have our small and mighty group that we're here live, and we'll have a much larger group that will learn by way of our conversation. So it's an important one indeed. And I'm going to step right into it because I hold on to that commitment that we'll keep our time between 20 and 30 minutes. So, and we'll focus on one challenge. One of the things that I have found is that the natural tendency in these conversations is try to cover a lot of territory, try to address many facets of what we're experiencing as leaders, and I fear that we don't, we're not able to grab onto some things that we can take and we can bring back into our leadership roles. So that's where my commitment lies with that, is how can we focus on one thing, one challenge. So you've heard me say— Angela Stearns, welcome Angela, great to have you. We, as you've heard me say with remote leadership, what we really are talking about is You know, leading a remote team, that's the beginning. Leading a remote team through crisis. And as you've heard me say, it's more than that. It really is about empowering ambassador leaders to lead the way forward and to help literally transform the underlying assumptions that we bring, that we bring with us. The underlying assumptions, because I think many of us are finding that those underlying assumptions simply are not And as leaders, it is critical that we are focused on both the human side of engaging a team and also the business continuity side for leading a team. Welcome, Leonardo. Welcome, everyone. We jumped right in it into our conversation. We're talking about, you know, what is remote leadership? And again, just to reiterate, Our focus is on addressing one challenge and reckoning with one challenge each time that we gather together for these short and powerful conversations. Today, our focus will be on leading a remote team through crisis. And this is one of the things that in many cases is being overlooked, and I'll take you to a conversation that I was a part of recently. It was a number of leaders coming together and they were talking about bringing the workforce back into the physical building. And what really struck me about that conversation was the tone and tenor of the conversation was business as usual. It was, all right, let's put together a plan and it will just— we'll come back together and it will be business as usual. It will be as if we had a little sort of blip in the process and onward we'll go. And that really struck me, particularly as it relates to leading and being a leader in crisis. So a quick story. I met with a leadership team this week, a leadership team of a small business, small but very, very successful business until 4 weeks ago. And 4 weeks ago, their business flatlined. The industry that they served completely Turned upside down, their revenue stream turned off in an instant. And in front of me in our Zoom conversation were 3 leaders that I've known and have worked with since 2013. And in 2013, I pulled up the note that I wrote to the founder of the organization and I said, your industry, the industry that you served is marked for significant disruption. That disruption will involve chaos and confusion and uncertainty, and there will be no roadmap in how to recreate or take things forward. And I read that to them as we began, and in front of me, I looked into the eyes of these leaders and I could the wear and tear of what they have been experiencing in the last 4 to 5 weeks. And it really reminded me of how critically important it is for us to address and truly understand what it means to lead through crisis, and that the importance that we, that we pause and, and have those considerations. What does that mean to us? Well, here is where I lean on not only my experience of 2 and a half decades of leading, working with leaders that are leading significant change, but also my personal experience as a volunteer crisis counselor. And one of the things that I found as a volunteer crisis counselor is that people that have experienced crisis often demonstrate hypervigilance, and hypervigilance is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity that is accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors. Hypervigilance may bring out a state of increased anxiety, which can cause exhaustion. So here's the question that I have for you. Have you seen signs of hypervigilance in your leadership, in your communication with others? And that really lends and brings us to the question, well, what does hypervigilance look like, or how does it manifest in behavior? One of the things that we see is either overreaction or underreaction. to situations. Overreaction is, you know, some small little incident creates an overreaction on the part of individuals. Similarly, underreaction is a situation that merits a very significant response, we see underreaction. So I would love to hear from you. See if I can get my poll up here. Are you able to see the polls? That's not working. Here we go. No, I don't want to, I don't want to write. I'm gonna just go ahead and jump on chat, if you would. Type in chat if you have seen evidence of hypervigilance in the workplace, in your work. It doesn't necessarily even have to be in the workplace. Certainly could be in your life, in, in your home. It might be any of those places. Go ahead and jump on chat, and I'm going to ask Therese, are you there? Are you, are you live with us?
I am.
Excellent. Talk to us about what your experience has been with hypervigilance.
I was just typing in that I've experienced both. In fact, I just got off a call doing— in one situation, so I have one business area that You know, to date, I've lost about $1.2 million, and it's only a $4.5 million area business. And the individual that I work with who manages the commercial marketing end of it is basically saying, oh, nothing's really going on. We just need to stay the course of what we normally do. So in this situation, when I look at hypervigilance, I have to go on the polar opposite and become more hypervigilant just to move her off Of understanding, you know. So this, when you talk about it, in my— in what I have seen in the work setting is the exhaustion part of it, because the amount of time and energy I have to put forth, and maybe— and my, my direct leaders have to do the same thing, you know, to— in order to be heard, or they're closer to the situation and say, no, we can't do business as usual, and listen to us.
Listen, yeah, and I think that's an important piece, Therese. It really comes down to asking questions, and because most of us have more questions than we have answers, right? We have more questions than we have answers. Excellent. Sandra, why don't you— thank you, Therese— weigh in on what your experience and observations have been with hypervigilance?
Yeah, so I would say there's, you know, there's different— I think people just trying to— I think people are at different stages of the crisis, let's say, and they will react differently depending on where they are on that journey. Because different— with remote teams, I'm finding that, you know, you've got people who are further ahead, in Asia, where I'm based, on the journey, and therefore, you know, maybe I've created more of a routine. In Europe, in the US, it's still quite new and people are still, you know, trying to figure out how to work with it. But that being said, this is still a mix. I think it's got to do with the company culture as well. You've got a lot of people who are almost pretending, or some companies who are still asking their employees to come to work, almost like as if there is no crisis and we just carry on what we were doing before and just, you know, almost forget what's happening. And then on the other hand, you have, you know, leaders who are putting a bit of a pressing the pause button and taking the time to listen to people in their teams who might be dispersed and in different places, both geographically but also, you know, at home, you know, because you'll have people with kids, people who need to care for elderly relatives and things like that. And I think being able to say, well, I know we've got milestones, I know we've got, you know, things, we're trying to do business as usual, but it is not, and therefore we have to adjust and listen. You know, it's not anymore I've got a team and it's a homogeneous entity, we have individuals in the team who are going through very different things and we just can't carry on the way we were doing before. And even with remote teams, it's a challenge going through these new ways of working, I would say. So that's my experience of almost 2 extremes of let's just pretend, you know, this is just going to pass and we'll carry on as much as possible so that we don't deviate. from whatever the course was that we were following, and hopefully it's the right one. And then people saying, well, we want to carry on, you know, delivering what we're supposed to deliver and what we committed to, but we have to realize that, well, things have changed, and therefore let's just take a step back and then see how everybody's doing, and, you know, with that empathy. So that's kind of my observation at the moment.
I think that's a really important observation. And let's note that Sandra is in Hong Kong, so they're about 13 weeks in. So, and as we've talked about, and we'll step into this a little more, is that this whole process, this, it really is a transformative process. And as noted, it's individual, it's very individual, and as leaders we've got to recognize where individuals are at, be cognizant of hypervigilance, the exhaustion, the reactions that people are having, and because we're remote, really be cognizant of reaching out when we see signs of overreaction or underreaction, or we have a sense that there is a struggle about. And then in the midst of all of that, begin asking questions so that we're not forging into that assumption That it is business as usual. I think we can simply— we can say without a shadow of a doubt that most industries will be affected going forward. I think we can— it's very difficult for us to discern exactly how. Any other comments from the group that you'd like to make in terms of hypervigilance, focusing on your relationships with individuals? On the team or the organization in general, how to ensure that we stop and we pause and we ask the critical questions so that we can, as organizations, steer toward opportunities and away from threats that this kind of market brings. Any other thoughts that sort of bubble up from you? All right, I've got another story to share. This is a story of a leader who 4 weeks ago was not working in the area of a product that would be used in the front lines of the crisis. So she was brought into this leadership role. She knew nothing about the technology and the product that was being made, and of course had a huge learning curve, but throughout the course of the last 5 weeks has escalated in her leadership role because of her capacity to make very rapid decisions, because of her ability to really have a measured connection between the human side of leading and the business continuity side. And it's interesting because I'd worked with this leader over time and she had said to me that what she wanted and was hoping for for was promotion opportunities and to be in a position where she could really influence things. And, you know, it's a classic example of be careful what you wish for because now that's what she has. But at the same time, she has tremendous pressure and she is working extraordinarily hard. She also has the same concerns that all of us have, and those concerns involve her family, You know, and others in her life. And when I looked in her eyes, again, this is a chance where we have a chance to look into people's eyes. When I looked into her eyes this week, I could also see the wear and tear that this is having on her. And what was really interesting, there were a number of things that were really interesting, but I want to share one One of them, which I think is really telling, and this brings us back to crisis, when people are operating in a place of crisis, is that tremendous hours she's putting in, she's working very hard, she's really working both the human side and the business side, in addition to the concerns that she has for her family, she realized that she needed to make a trip to the market. And she went to the market, and I asked her, what was that experience like? And I truly will never forget the pause that she gave in the moment when she said how terrified she was when she was there, and how every corner that she walked around was the concern of touching someone or having— touching something that may be of danger, of danger. Absolute terror. She described when she got out into her car when she had finished the shopping and how she sat there trembling. And this is a really important story that we have to take in as it relates to leading through crisis. And as Sandra noted, people are at varying levels, varying places of not only acceptance But the other piece that we really have to recognize is that— is the long-term effects, the longer-term effects of leading through crisis, because in the example that I'm sharing with you, this is a leader that needs to pull her shoulders up and needs to hold her head high and make critical decisions and remain optimistic and positive in front of her young family, but the reality is, is that she's carrying a very heavy weight. And so this is— when we talk about business as usual, this is not business as usual. It is absolutely not. So let's pause in this moment and think about our role as leaders in our family, as leaders on our team, and as, you know, self-leadership. Where are we at in Bearing the weight of this crisis. And what are the things that we can do? What are the, you know, you, for those of you that have joined before, you've, you know, we've looked at this slide before. What are the routines? What are the habits? And what are the rituals that we can put into play? First for ourselves, next for our team members, and also for Our families and, you know, larger to create and establish an opportunity for people to manage the crisis as best they're able. This brings me to my experience as a crisis volunteer crisis counselor. I remember one time working with a young woman who had been through crisis. She was experiencing very high anxiety and was really struggling with bringing herself and settling herself down. And I asked her, take me back to a place in time before the crisis, a place in time in your life where it was— you felt strong and confident, and what brought you a sense of calm? What created a sense of calm for you? And she paused for a moment and she said, the sound of birds in the morning. The sound of birds singing in the morning is such a peaceful and calming thing. And it was an interesting thing because it— and I, you know, I'm in Minneapolis. It was the dead of the winter, and in the dead of the winter, we don't hear birds singing often, but I asked her if she had a streaming service that she used, and she said that she did. And I said, search for the sound of happy birds. And, um, and that, and that really stuck with me. And so I went and I found the sound of happy birds, and I set it so that it, it begins every morning at 6 o'clock. So now let's talk about— again, we're looking through the lens of leading through crisis personally, looking through the lens of your team members and your team. Let's talk about what your thoughts are on this and ideas that you have for routines Habits, and rituals that will help us all as we lead through crisis. Joshua, let's, let's chat about this.
What are your thoughts?
I think, I think you bring up some great points. You know, a lot of it is about, as the leader, taking care of yourself as well to make sure that your well-being is good, because you can't give what you don't have. When you're trying to give peace of mind to others and help others with their problems. You know, as far as routines, habits, and rituals, what I've honestly tried to do— and I know we've talked a lot about business as usual, and it's not business as usual. However, I've— I am very much a creature of habit, so I've tried to maintain my regular habits, which don't really involve anything that puts me at any kind of risk anyway. So, I've really tried to kind of double down on those things to make sure that I've, you know, can keep my headspace right and make sure that I can, you know, that I don't get too out of sorts myself. And that's allowed me to be a little more stable. But as far as then going into the workplace and then how we interact with people differently now, What I've really tried to do is develop more of a habit of really checking up on people more than I ever have before. A lot of that is through phone calls, and I found that that has been extremely helpful in hearing someone's voice, as opposed to email where it's very easy to misread someone's tone or really miss a lot of what's going on with them. You miss all the nonverbals there. So You know, I've picked up the phone a lot more, a whole lot more. In fact, my day is now filled with phone calls all day long to check in on people and to see how they're doing and give that encouragement where encouragement is needed and really kind of talk through and help them with what they're doing as well. So that's kind of my thoughts on it.
I think that's a really important piece, and that's why I talked about also, you know, we're— let's pay attention to hypervigilance and maybe over- Overreaction and underreaction, and really have the courage to reach out to those when we see that, but also rely on our intuitive sense of connecting with others. I think you're absolutely right. I've made a lot of calls too. We can learn a tremendous amount from our calls. If there's any way we can look at people also, I think that's important because we can see a lot of what's going on. And in the examples that I shared, When I was, you know, in conversation with the team whose business flatlined, you know, 4 weeks ago, it was important to see their eyes and to see their faces. Also in this leader who has been bearing a very, very heavy load and a lot of weight, really important to see them. At the same time, I want to acknowledge that When I first— I used to do a lot of international coaching and we didn't have— we weren't able to see people. And you definitely get a better sense over time of listening to the tonality, people's tone, their responses. You get a very heightened sense. sense of where they're at. So I don't want to diminish the calls, as you note, Joshua, because I think they're really important, critically important for sure. Leonardo comes from Chile. Jump in with us if you would, or if you can, and share some of your thoughts in this regard.
Hi, hello. Yeah, very interesting discussion. I don't know, do you hear me well?
We do, I do, yes.
I think it's very interesting. I think hypervigilance is something that we have to bear with a lot here, especially the first days or weeks. I would say we have adapted to a new reality, and you can see that there are different leadership styles that appear. Some people that have authority usually can't manage in abnormal situations, and you have the heroes of leadership that are more effective under a crisis. Those people normally, what I have seen and I have discussed, tend to have a capacity to self-manage their own emotions and behavior and somehow understand the situation and focus on activities and routines that are related to short-term, basically to keep moving the system. Indeed, uncertainty is something that is not comfortable for anybody. I would say that routine self-management very important. And also express humor, for instance, with your team, or literally words that act as a contention for anxiety.
Right. Those are very important points. I, you know, I will offer that even those that you see that seem to be you know, really rising to the occasion and functioning very well as a leader under the pressure, that maybe they need the call even more than others. That those that are sort of rising above the, you know, the pressures really need the opportunity for exchange, and maybe as much as others. So, you know, let's consider that also in those that we are leading and working with and the like. Angela, I want to bring you into the conversation. What are your observations in regards to, you know, really connecting with people and recognizing that we are Hi, good morning. Hi, Angela.
I'm sorry, I wasn't fully prepared for exactly what your format was like this morning. I was— Laura is my neighbor and friend, and anyway, It's great to see all of you. I just think that whole— I mean, I'm not coming so much from a leadership perspective as a person who was recently let go from her job, as of yesterday morning, actually.
Mm-hmm.
But I could just feel the compassion from an excellent leader, and talk about the human quality. Here, I'm just gonna let you see me. Let's see if this is coming in. Can you see me?
Yeah.
I don't see myself, but I didn't prepare myself here. I know what I look like. I mean, talk about compassion, and I'm not really on track with what the question was, sorry, but I just want to say what that means from the other perspective of the employee in the workforce, I guess, when that hard decision is made. and how meaningful it was to actually have that eye contact and feel the human feeling of the hardship on their end and the real human— humanness of it all, I guess. And it was very— it made it— it still was super hard and I wasn't expecting it, but I could tell the kind of thought put into it and heart. It's so important to have that heart piece.
Thank you for sharing, Angela, and I think that's really important perspective for all of us here is that whatever side we're on, and for— I want to acknowledge, Angela, this space that you're in because it is It is so hard. And I love that you also could see and had compassion, could see the compassion on the part of the, of your leader and how difficult this is. This really does bring us to the place to, to realize that we are all leading through crisis and we all have a different perspective. So as we close in our time together, What I'd like to ask you to consider and to think about right now is those people in your life that could really use a call and could really use an outreach in one way or another. And as we've talked about, I mean, some people are just barreling forward and seem to be doing Incredibly well, and yet they are leading through crisis. Some are struggling, and maybe it's easier for us to see that they need an outreach, a connection, a conversation, a text message, a Zoom conversation, a small act of compassion. I see you. I hear you. I'm here. One of the things that is always present in crisis work is that you are not there to take away the pain or take away it, what they're experiencing, but to simply be there. And I think this is a space and time, so what I'd like to encourage you all to consider and all to do as we close in our time together Is reach out to someone, whether that's someone that you know to be really strong or someone that you know that is struggling or someone that you know has a heavy weight right now. This is the human side and rushing past and considering that business as usual without acknowledging crisis is a huge mistake. Because what we know to be true, and I'm sure many of you have heard and recognized this reality, That real crisis, the ramifications and the effects of real crisis often are after the fact, right? And so whether it seems really obvious right now or whether it isn't, there are a lot of people that could use compassion. So as we close in our conversation of remote leadership, my encouragement would be That you reach out to someone, several people, and take this opportunity to show compassion and support. We are leading through crisis, and sometimes it's obvious those who need us, and sometimes it isn't. So I thank you for coming in. As I, as I noted, we are small. We are a small and mighty group from around the world. How wonderful is that? that brings us together. And I will close with, I believe that at the core that this is really about leaders leading the way to a time of transformative change, revolutionary change. And we can't— we don't have all the answers, but we certainly will figure this out together. So I'd like to acknowledge all of you for being here and all of those who will listen to this message and wish you all the best in your outreach and the compassion that you show for others after today, today, and I encourage you to join us once again next week, 20 to 30 minutes focusing on one thing. Together we'll find our way.
