Leaders, Leadership and Resilience in a Pandemic

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

We are all leaders even if we aren't in the position of a manager, director or administrator. The decisions we make as front-line staff and the ways we lead from our place in the organization are a vital piece or organizational culture.

As COVID cases continue to spike, we are looking at a long winter ahead. Our own leadership and resilience are sorely tested.

A recent blog post by a member of the ALSC Managing Children's Services Committee highlights skills and traits that can help in times of crisis like we are in. They write: "COVID-19 has been an extreme test of leadership across the country, causing even the strongest and most seasoned leaders to begin dreaming of early retirement. The library world is no exception. How can we be the kind of leader our teams need during so much uncertainty and change? What leadership skills and traits are most beneficial in these trying times?" Check out the blog post and see how these line up with your experience.

Another piece of leadership lies in our resilience and ability to cope in trying times. We are all experiencing fatigue and a depleted "surge capacity". This happens when a crisis has no definitive end but continues on a rolling basis. It affects our ability to roll with the punches, stay creative or find energy to continue to problem solve on a constant basis to meet the ongoing crisis. 

How can we work on our resilience? This article from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has some key points to consider.