Maintaining effective leadership during times of environmental stress

ABSTRACT

Applying the concepts of lead management in a world that has traditionally experienced the external control of boss management is particularly challenging in times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, the pandemic has meant a challenge to getting needs met, both inside and outside the workplace. At the most primal level, survival needs are being threatened, and the quality of our relationships can be influenced as we must find ways to work together from a distance. In the workplace, organizational survival also must be addressed. Deadlines remain in place and workers are expected to function effectively on their jobs despite other challenges they may be facing as a result of the pandemic. In this article, the authors integrate Glasser's (1998) model of lead management with other management strategies that can be effective in addressing workplace concerns. The article concludes with a discussion in which Provost shares his experience in developing his own management style and explains how he focuses on how to balance the needs of individuals and groups within the constraints of the system, particularly in the time of stress within a pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)