Times of crisis and chaos call for strong leaders. If you operate a business, the current moment presents the perfect opportunity for leaders to shine. Expressing strong leadership in your company, community, and industry won’t just bolster your business’ reputation -- it will also ease the minds of your employees, partners, and customers while keeping them safe, healthy, and informed. Are you prepared to go above and beyond expectations amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic? Here are five ways to display strong leadership in any field or circumstance.

1. Listen to Employee and Customer Concerns

The best leaders are the best listeners. Before making any decision, you must take into account the feelings, concerns, opinions, and questions of your people. For instance, some employees may express concerns about returning to work or having enough hours, certain customers might inquire about your disinfection practices, mask requirements, etc., and the list goes on. You are not obligated to appease every individual’s concerns, of course, but paying attention to each and every one will help inform your decisions moving forward and keep everyone safe.

2. Follow the Facts and Data

Though this moment is riddled with false and conflicting information, redacted statements, and sudden discoveries, strong leaders do their best to sift through the opinions and misleading information and focus on the most recent and reliable facts and data at hand. It isn’t always easy to know who or what to trust, of course, but the more research you can do, the clearer the picture will become. For instance, you might research the necessity and effectiveness of coronavirus deep clean services, track new cases of COVID-19 in your community, read up on the latest state and local regulations relevant to your business operations, and more. The less guesswork, the better.

3. Communicate Clearly

Strong leaders are also strong communicators, and communication is key during these uncertain times. Your employees, customers, and partners (such as your professional disinfecting services) should be made aware of any and all developments and changes that will go into place, such as adjustments of operating hours, occupancy, social distancing practices, PPE requirements, and so on. More importantly, they should clearly be told why these changes are being made (backed up by evidence) so they are more likely to comply and behave properly.

4. Solve Problems with Innovation

With so much uncertainty in the air, it may be tempting for some to throw up their hands and give up when faced with a problem. But creative problem-solving is a key component of strong leadership. Rather than call it quits or take shortcuts, the strong leader sees every obstacle as a pathway toward innovation. For instance, employee capacity limitations may be solved by implementing remote work protocols, which may become a permanent fixture of the business. And issues with efficient cleaning and disinfection might be resolved by investing in electrostatic disinfection services. Not every problem posed by COVID-19 is easily solvable, but you should make every effort to find meaningful solutions.

5. Practice What You Preach

Lastly, a good leader doesn’t simply dictate from behind the curtain, but rather stands on the front lines, setting a behavioral example for everyone else to follow. If you want to display strong leadership, then, you must adhere to your own rules and guidelines. Do your best to socially distance when possible, wear a mask in public, maintain excellent hygiene, wipe down surfaces after touching them, etc. The closer you follow these best practices, the more likely others will be to do the same. In the end, this active leadership will result in a safer, healthier, more compliant workplace.

In every field, strong leaders are now needed more than ever. Do your part by listening well, basing decisions on facts and data, communicating clearly, solving problems creatively, and setting a strong example for everyone around you. The Budd Group is happy to maintain a leadership role in the facility maintenance, cleaning, and disinfection industry. Our full-service offerings include disinfection misting services, deep cleaning and disinfection, antimicrobial barrier control, COVID-19 remediation, and much more. We are proud to work with leaders in other industries to help keep their facilities safe, sanitary, and compliant.