HBD Covid: Tears, Tumors & Total Transformation
Happy Birthday, Covid. At least, this is when you really showed up in my life, a year ago, today.
By Jayson Krause, Managing Director of Level 52 & Author of The Science Behind Success
I returned from a work trip in Chicago on March 9, 2020. On March 10 my car got stolen from outside the front of my house, and that was just the beginning of what felt like unstoppable upper cuts and unexpected foot sweeps that left me on my ass, in pain, frustration, and disbelief. The world started shutting down, travel ceased, and much of our work at Level 52 evaporated quicker than the mist that comes from speaking moistly.
Imagine being on your ass and you finally muster the strength to flip over and begin pushing yourself up… then four kids and homeschooling jump on your back and compete viciously for your time and attention while simultaneously you’re competing viciously for the time and attention of current clients and prospects to keep the business alive.
We eventually found our stride through the summer, but if all of this wasn’t crazy enough, I found out in September that I have a tumor (2½ inches) inside my humerus (that really strong bone your bicep rests on). Seriously? Not humorous at all.
Just when I think life has been wild enough, I find out I have a tumor!? After an emotional rollercoaster, and a battery of tests, we found out it is an enchondroma (a cartilage producing tumor, not cancerous). As it grows, it will eventually have to be taken out, once my bone starts degrading, but it’s not a sarcoma. In this case, a shoulder replacement is a welcome alternative.
Here’s the thing. Life goes on and despite everything that could and did go wrong, there were a lot of things that went right. That were actually inspiring.
Level 52 transitioned from jet-setting globe-trotters to rapidly deploying a virtual delivery model, that, would you believe it… has not only ended up being a better product that delivers better value to our clients, but allows us to reach even more people. Plus, all of that time I spent on airplanes traveling from here to there and being away from my family, it all vanished and created space for me to finally finish my new book, The Science Behind Success.
This whole pause and disorienting global event forced me and others to re-evaluate, re-adjust, and re-engineer our lives and businesses. As I look back on the year the pandemic came, I can say for myself it’s all been for the better. Not perfect, but better. Who would have thought our business could reach more people simultaneously through our virtual Accelerated Leader Programs, or that we’d be using virtual reality for one-on-one meetings with our clients.
Without Covid, we wouldn’t have experienced this exponential leap in the quality, effectiveness, and cutting edge experiences in our work.
A friend of mine shared a quote with me recently, “The catalyst for change is either by design or by disaster.” This is true. We either make the difficult choice to change our lives and businesses for the better, or disaster forces us to pick ourselves up and pivot. In this case disaster showed up as a wolf, but shockingly provided the comfort of a lamb once we got our arms around it. It still isn't easy - but it sure is exciting.
As we reflect on the last 365 days and what we all got through, it’s time to celebrate. We all know that we can get through some of the wildest and most unexpected challenges and sideswipes. Good. It’s prepared us all for what’s next. Because we also know that by moving forward, anything is possible. So how do you prepare for what’s next now? Well, it’s either by design or by disaster. You choose.
Pandemic or not, here are the things I’ve learned and am still learning. I’d love to know what yours are.
Beware of strategic determinism. You know how to make the gods laugh. Tell them your plan. If you weren’t agile before, you better elevate your fitness and develop that personal and organizational agility before it’s too late and you quickly find yourself and your biz obsolete.
Technology is exploding. Duh. It already was, but the pandemic amplified this even more so. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, the exponential leap of virtual reality, and the soon widespread use of drone delivery is upon us. Become informed.
The new commute. Most of us use to drive to the office and drive back home. That served as both a grounding point for work and family. With that gone, you need to replace it with something. One of our clients says his new commute is the time on the treadmill. Warm-ups and cool downs are important. Build yours and use them.
Beware of transactions. With most of us working at home, emailing and Zooming away, the work can become even more transactional than ever. Take the time for transformational activities with those you work with. Connect with the human before you connect with the role they play in the business. It means more than you think.
Your health is your wealth. All of those hours plugging away are for what? When I was waiting on news about my tumor and feared for the worst, I’d burst into tears as I watched my kids play. Wondering if I’d be here a few years from now. Exercise is important, even more so now. With gyms mostly closed, I’ve been using my new VR headset and engaging in Supernatural workouts. I also use it for my meditations and start my days sitting in the middle of Stonehenge or underneath the northern lights.
Challenge your bias machine. If this year hasn’t invited you to look at the biases you hold against others, I don’t know what will. As the world innovates towards a much needed space of diversity, inclusion and belonging, the starting point is for all of us to become aware of the implicit biases that inform our behaviours. If you don’t think you have biases - take this free assessment offered by Harvard.
The risk of ignoring feedback. Feedback shows up in many different ways. If you’re lucky people give you feedback to know what’s wrong or right. Riots and protests provide feedback that old structures and systems need to change. Nature gives us feedback to remind us of the impact we have and we have the choice to make adjustments to the way we work, lead and live.
During the peak of protests and wildfires, a poem took form in my mind and I'll share it with you here:
The wildfires keep on burning
The ashes
The protests
The dead
Maybe the world won’t start learning
Until you address those wildfires
In your head.
~ Jayson Krause
The biggest lesson from this past year is that all of us are responsible for the world we are creating today and tomorrow and the next. We can lean into the pain required to build it by design, or scramble towards the transformation facilitated by disaster.
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Whether you are a senior leader responsible for a billion dollar business, an emerging leader starting your career, or part of that overlooked middle band of management seeking to be better, The Science Behind Success will help you get clarity on your leadership impact, give you the compass to stay steady during chaos, and the tools to accelerate your career, impact, and legacy.
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