3 Tips For Leading Your Organization Through COVID-19

As we continue to walk through the coronavirus pandemic, leaders still must lead. As we face the uncertainty of how long this will last and what the fallout will be economically, emotionally, and how many people we might lose to the virus, we still have businesses, organizations, and ministries to think about.

So how can we best lead our organizations in the midst of so much heaviness and uncertainty? What can we do to keep our organizations going? Below are three practical tips on what you can do and plan for during this time.

1. Assume nothing will return back to normal for the next three months

Like everyone else, I have no idea when certain restrictions will be loosened and we will be allowed to begin to return to life as normal. That said, I would rather plan for difficult scenarios and be pleasantly surprised if I am wrong than to continually be disappointed. To that end, one of the best things you can do right now is assume life as we know it will still be in lockdown mode for the next three months.

Depending on the size of your organization and what you do, it could be a significant financial and time-consuming project to move to a more fully online presence in how you connect and reach your people. But if you knew life would be like this for at least three more months, what changes would you make?

Make those changes now. At worst (or should we say best) you are able to resume normal operations sooner, but at least you would have innovated and tried some new things you might be able to carry with you into the future. And if the coronavirus pandemic goes on longer than three more months, you will still be perfectly positioned to continue with the changes you have made.

If you knew this would last us until at least July, what changes would you make? Start marking them now, and it will help you out even more with the next point.

2. Your digital response will heavily impact your physical presence

When things somewhat go back to normal, people will connect with the brands, organizations, and churches they most came in contact with online while staying at home. This means that if you don't find a way to connect with people online during this time, you will miss out on the reach you could and would have had.

For example, as a pastor and leader at New City Church, we can't physically gather at all. This means all of our ministry has moved online. All of our services are online, our groups are meeting online; everything we do has to be online. This means we must do everything we can to encourage and help people through digital means.

So we have been offering and doing many more things online than we normally do. For example, here are some of the things we have done online that we never have before:

• 5 minute devotional videos

• Taking communion over Zoom with our people

• Having prayer gatherings over Zoom

• Doing a mid-week service online on Wednesday night

• Creating resource pages on our church website for families and married couples

• Using Zoom for things like craft nights, cooking classes, storytime for kids and their parents, trivia night, etc.

• Different bracket challenges like voting on the best TV show

The point is that we want to be highly active online. One, to give people hope, encouragement, and even some fun during this time. But two, because we know people are anxious and afraid. This pandemic is showing us what has always been true; we are not in control. This means many people will be open and looking for a church to connect to when this is over. If they have seen and even interacting with us online during this time, they are much more likely to visit us when we are able to gather together again.

Whatever it might look like for you, your digital response matters. Remember, not everything you do online has to be business or ministry-related either. Have some fun and engage with people. It will make a big impact on the physical response of your organization when the pandemic is over.

Now is the time to try new and innovate ideas with minimal risk, so don't miss this opportunity.

3. Give up on how you used to do things, but don't give up

For most of us, even those who were already leading organizations that were primarily online, because of the pandemic how we used to do things doesn't work right now. So while we should give up some of the old ways as we try new things right now, what we should not do is give up.

You're frustrated, overwhelmed, and worried about how your organization will survive this. I completely understand. But don't let your worry and fear stop you from trying. Instead, use it to motivate you to press forward as you try new things.

This pandemic will shut down a lot of organizations, businesses, and churches, but it doesn't have to. Just because it can, doesn't mean it should. The well-known quote by Henry Ford speaks well into our current situation:

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right

You can lead through this and your organization can survive.

Trust God. Be faithful. Take risks.

The world needs leaders just like you right now. Give up on the old way of doing things, but please don't give up. You can help us get through this.