Head of Information Security at Directly, leading and managing a cross-functional annually audited InfoSec program, and IW CDR in the USNR.
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On this first day of 2021, I reflect on what I have learned as a tech leader in an unforgettable year that will define members of my generation. 2020 was a very challenging year for so many people, and it forced me to put a lot of things in perspective and adapt to new realities. In this article, I will discuss three leadership lessons I learned throughout the year:
1. There Is More To Life Than Work
Working hard and being passionate about one's calling is very important. However, there is more to life than work. One thing the global pandemic of 2020 taught me is that life is short. Over 350,000 people died of Covid-19 this past year in the U.S.
To make matters worse, in my home state of California, we also had to deal with the impact of wildfires. Many Californians lost their homes and belongings, and some lost their pets and lives to the uncontrollable wildfires. In the face of such incredible challenges, one cannot help but put things in perspective.
If today was my last day on earth, would I be satisfied with how I lived my life? Have I spent enough time with the people and doing things I value most? I think for most people, working hard would not be at the top of their lists. There will always be work. There are things in life that are more important than work or making money. Personal and professional relationships are crucial. Emotional health is essential. Fitness and good health are important. Without good health, nothing else matters.
As tech leaders, we need to provide our team members the flexibility to prioritize what matters most to them outside of work.
2. People Are Very Resilient
The second thing I reflected on about 2020 is that people are more resilient than we sometimes give them credit. We are at the beginning of a brand new year, and you and I are still here. We have made it. Let us be grateful for that fact.
At the height of the pandemic, having found out about the passing of my wonderful mother, who fought so bravely against cancer, providence sent me a lifeline in the form of a 21-day grateful challenge from an organization whose mission is to combat isolation to reduce suicide rates among the military and first-responder communities. For 21 days, I had to be grateful for one thing every single day. This grateful challenge, in addition to daily exercise and improving my fitness, helped me recover my emotional health more than anything else.
As a tech leader, I am grateful that my family is well and healthy, I still have a job, and I have an opportunity every day to make things better for myself, my organization, and my local community. I believe human beings can overcome any hardship and innovate to survive. I believe we can imagine and realize new ways to work, deliver products or services, and care for our internal and external customers' needs.
As technology leaders, we can leverage IT to create a future that is very different and better than our present. Some of our team members and colleagues fell sick in 2020. Some were laid off, and others almost lost everything. I know for sure from past experiences that as long as people breathe, there is hope for recovery and the potential to come out on the other side stronger and better than ever before.
As leaders, we need to frequently check in on our team members not only about work but also about their health and emotional wellness. Tech leaders should allow team members flexibility in their work schedule to address personal crises outside of work and demonstrate empathy — a sign of great emotional intelligence.
3. Be Prepared For Any Contingencies
Finally, I learned from 2020 that tech leaders should be prepared for any contingencies. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, our leadership team had business continuity plans in case of natural disasters like earthquakes or wildfires. Still, no one in my circle could have predicted the profound effect of a global pandemic that came out of nowhere.
As tech leaders, we need to be flexible and proactive in our response to the unexpected. We should quickly think of innovative ways to maintain business continuity amid chaos. Updating your organization's risk profile at least annually should be a given. Developing and testing a business continuity plan annually or whenever there are material changes to the organization or business processes should also be a given. 2020 taught me that a business model should not be dependent on a single physical location or building. In its proper use, technology could provide a competitive advantage by enabling a business to continue to perform its critical functions in innovative ways.
2020 has been a challenging and unusual year for a whole lot of people and organizations. Many organizations and some industries may never recover from the disruption that was forced upon us. Tech leaders should pay attention to the many lessons learned from this past year.
The common thread in the lessons outlined above could be summarized by what Colin Powell said about leadership being "all about people." People are our most valuable resources; taking care of them will, in turn, take care of our technical and business requirements.
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