The black and white picture is me. It’s not a staged photo. We were a week into quarantine and my wife captured a real moment we can all relate to. How do I explain to my kids why they can’t go to school as they melt down 10 seconds before I need to join a Zoom chat?  Just as it’s my turn to speak the dog barks or throws up…

We begin to wonder does anyone care? Can anyone tell I’m sitting in my car? Is my team even working? Will we be in business in 3 months? If so, will I be a part of it? My schedule keeps getting interrupted and I feel unproductive. Now it’s evening but I feel frustrated instead of engaged during family time…while everyone else seems so happy on social media…our thought cycle can be vicious if we don’t know how to control it.

There is a positive side. Much of one actually. Companies are finding they can save expenses associated with on-site real estate and invest elsewhere. Individuals are overwhelmingly claiming they are more productive at home and prefer to do so.  

Companies that can embrace the advantages while solving the inherent challenges will thrive in adversity. As leaders, we can choose to hope for the best or fight and write our own story. This is the war corporate leaders face.  

As a good college pitcher, I developed so much anxiety I could no longer pitch. I learned how to overcome anxiety eventually becoming a sniper in special operations. Later due to casualties sustained in a helicopter crash, I was made a team leader. I made many mistakes but learned fast through experience and mentorship from senior operators. Below, you can find some thoughts on leadership which I wrote just after the COVID-19 quarantine.