Happy October!

 

I can’t remember if I have ever shared this, but my “day job” revolves around leadership—training leaders, developing teams, organizational leadership, and continuously learning.  As such, I am a self-describe ‘leadership nerd’ and like to soak up everything that is shared with me.  A colleague recently emailed an article that discussed how to lead when your team and you are exhausted.  Not only does this apply to my business world, but I related so much to Rotary as I was reading it.  Here is an excerpt:

 

Encourage “the fundamental feeling that people are good enough, that they have earned their place, and that their worth is not just a function of their actions and results, but of who they are and how they carry themselves. So, don’t only talk about ‘getting things done’ in your conversations with your colleagues, but also recognize ‘who they are’.”  (Read more at the link: https://hbr.org/2020/12/how-to-lead-when-your-team-is-exhausted-and-you-are-too)

 

We are functioning in a different space than we are used to.  Even in the article it discusses the difference between where we are now and where we were a year ago when COVID-19 was still “new”.  There have been several days recently when I wished for those first few months of our lockdown.  Yes, things were unknown and stressful, but we were all trying to navigate it together.  Now, we have guidelines all over the place, some people are working from home still, some people are not working at all anymore, and some people are working outside of the home with safety measures that change daily.  It’s stressful and it’s one of the reasons I am so strongly focused on removing barriers.

 

We have Rotarians who have stepped up and Rotarians who have stepped back since the pandemic began.  This does not mean they are not “good” Rotarians.  It doesn’t mean they don’t want to serve.  It just means that life is different. 

 

Most of the time, we don’t know what others are going through.  We don’t know the silent battles they are fighting or what the capacity in their lives is.  Now, more than ever, I ask each of you to have empathy and compassion.  If you haven’t already, please watch our August and September Noon Zooms.  Both speakers addressed mental health in their conversations and sparked excellent discussion.

 

Neil Dunsmore- https://youtu.be/SMs7OCL7Bhk

 

Valarie Wafer- https://youtu.be/gLbpb08zvyM

 

One of my focuses as a leadership and team consultant is perspective taking.  If you are not familiar with the term, it essentially refers to the process of understanding another’s point of view and/or putting oneself in another person’s position.  It is related to having empathy, to openly communicating, and to problem solving (i.e.- removing barriers).

 

As we move through the fall and toward the holiday season, as COVID-19 guidelines change, and the weather turns colder, I encourage you to consider that each of your fellow club members is coming from a place that perhaps you cannot see and/or have not experienced.  Meet everyone with kindness, an open heart, and an open mind.  Be the person who listens, who helps, and who serves to change lives.

 

Yours in Service,

DG Erin

 

PS- Please join us for the next Noon Zoom on Tuesday, October 19^th with Dr. Todd “Bowtie” Jenkins who will talk with us about DEI. 

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