Companies all over the world are being challenged to find new ways to serve their customers and communities while trying to keep their employees safe.

Heroic efforts by many organizations attempting to do business during this have resulted in employees who are suffering from fatigue and burnout.
However, in the midst of uncertainty and fear, other companies are energized as they are making good on their purpose statements, eliminating bureaucracy, empowering untested leaders with big responsibilities, and fast track decision making.

How do the best companies do it?

Embrace an ecosystem mindset. Companies rely on extensive networks of external partners, working together to create value. The most successful companies consider their partners an extension of themselves. They take bigger risks together, talk about opportunities together, and strive to establish deep bonds of trust.

Use facts and insights to drive decision making. Many companies have trouble identifying a “single source of truth”. They haven’t cultivated partners to help them look at problems from different perspectives. The ability to gather, organize, interpret, and act on data is a defining competitive advantage.

Learn how to learn. The working world will be different after the pandemic, companies will be different, and many people will be different as a result of their experiences. Companies that equip employees with the meta-skill of learning how to adapt and change quickly will thrive and succeed.

As we emerge from the shadow of COVID, leaders will have a golden opportunity to reimagine every aspect of their organizations. Success will take many forms and be achieved through a combination of practices.

Turn this challenge into an opportunity to approach business from many new directions.