In the vast oceans of higher education, leaders often find themselves steering through calm waters, confident in routine navigation. I remember sitting at my desk in March 2020 thinking, why are we facing a global pandemic when I'm the dean? The Dean that I worked under for more than 10 years prior never had to deal with anything like this. Why me? Well, I eventually came to realize that crises do emerge and that during these crazy times - true leadership shines brightest.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
When crisis strikes, leaders are thrown into the ocean without a life-preserver. The ability to navigate uncertainty with grace and fortitude becomes paramount. Rather than being paralyzed by fear, great leaders step into the fray, identifying opportunities amid chaos, and community with honesty. I remember well when COVID-19 was such an uncertainty. Would we lose an academic year? Would students have to sit out and wait for this pandemic to pass? What could we do as academic leaders to help? My mind jumped to communication. I opened a Canvas course entitled KYCO Students. And, in this course I began to post daily messages to all of my students. I shared with them the fears that I had day to day. I honestly spoke to them about how we were navigating in unknown waters. I shared with them how the news and recommendations changed hour to hour. I told them how I didn't sleep well at night because I was so worried about the future. Each day at 9:00am, I posted a new message. On Canvas, you can see who and when people log-in. I was amazed to see that hundreds of students each day logged-in at exactly 9:00am to read my post. They were hungry for information during this very uncertain time.
In optometric education, we are blessed to have wonderful colleagues. On each Thursday of the pandemic at 3:00pm, we all logged-in to a Zoom call and shared our stories. Deans from each school shared strategies, ideas, and plans to get through the pandemic safely. I think it was all "group therapy" as we all wrestled with this heavy burden. I shared with this group my communication plan and I think several adopted my idea. What I know is that my students could never say, "I don't know what is going on!" This feeling of being up-to-date and part of the conversation solved so many issues for me. Even if my daily post said, "I don't honestly know." The students knew that I was in the dark as well. I heard stories of students revolting against their administration during COVID-19. This did not happen at my college because students were up-to-date!
Hope for the Future
In times of crisis, clarity of vision becomes the lighthouse that guides the way. Leaders must provide hope and direction for their schools, illuminating a path through the darkness. By articulating a compelling narrative of resilience and adaptability, you can inspire confidence and unity. Each day, when a new case of COVID-19 was identified in our population, I communicated directly with that student or faculty member. I never questioned their decisions that lead to catching the virus, but rather shared with them that they were going to get better. I'd share with them information about local resources for medication, food, and support. I'd offer to drop things off at their door. Many times, my assistant and I delivered groceries to the doorstep of an isolated student. At the time when they felt isolated, I had to provide them hope that things would get better. I often connected them with classmates that had recently recovered from COVID-19 so that they could share experiences and support. I always connected them with their professors so that they could be productive during any time of isolation. They needed hope for a better day ahead!
On the faculty side, I needed to provide hope to my faculty that this is not our new reality and that things would get better. If you recall, we were advised not to gather in groups for a long time. So, we supplemented our group meetings with Zoom cocktail hours. As the infection rates declined, we'd invite 2 faculty members at a time over to our house for dinner. Sometimes we ate outside because that was the recommendation at the time. These small dinners allowed me to listen. What were they worried about? Did they think we needed to do more or less for our students? These dinners proved very valuable to me as we started to return to normalcy because people did not feel so isolated.
Flexibility
In the face of crisis, rigidity is a liability. Leaders must embody agility, swiftly adapting strategies and operations to meet the evolving landscape. In a previous blog, I wrote about the need to be flexible as a leader. It comes up again here. During times of crisis, you must be adaptable and creative. How many times did we maneuver or adjust to the COVID-19 recommendations? How many times did we put us signs or take down signs? Being flexible without breaking is the key!
Emerge Stronger
As the storm subsides and the waters calm, true leaders do not merely survive; they emerge stronger than before. The lessons learned during COVID-19 are with all of us. We learned to be better communicators, we learned to lead with heart, we learned that keeping hope alive is critically important. In embracing uncertainty, leaders cultivate a spirit of innovation that propels their organizations towards a bright future. In the unpredictable times that we live, academic leadership is not merely a role; it is a calling! Continue to apply the lessons learned!
Comments