It’s undeniable: digital transformations are here to stay. They are quintessential drivers for change in organizations, and they are expanding in number and accelerating in frequency at breakneck speed. The demands of a world in which digital transformations prevail require us as leaders to stand up and take notice, regardless of our mission or our customers. We all operate in this new and uniquely complex environment and need new ways to think about — and lead — digital transformations.
We're living through an unprecedented time. It's scary, but I've been here. I started my career working for design firms in 1993, then added a side venture in the mid-90s, a custom kid's bed linen business that I ran for 10 years. In the late 90s, I added a second moonlighting layer (because who needs a social life in their 20s): smaller, then bigger interior design projects in whatever waking hours I had. In 2004, I got an opportunity from one of those side clients to launch my own interior design firm. It took a nagging gut instinct to make the leap, but I'm grateful that I said yes.
Under any circumstances, managing a remote team requires an over-emphasis on communication, a deep understanding of flexibility, and a variety of ways to maintain touch points with your teammates. Now, with so much uncertainty, fear, and sickness, we need to have even more compassion so that people have time to heal, adjust, and find their anchor within this "new normal."