Linkage CEO Jennifer McCollum Appears on Rhett Power’s Power Lunch Live Podcast

How can leaders effectively lead their teams–even in a time of crisis, such as the on-going COVID-19 public health crisis?  

Jennifer McCollum, CEO of Linkage, was a recent guest on Rhett Power’s podcast, Power Lunch Live. During her appearance, she discussed the critical challenges leaders are facing and how they can address them head-on. 

How could leaders have planned for this situation? How can they plan for future issues? While acknowledging that you, in fact, cannot plan for a crisis of this scale, Jennifer noted that you can put processes and structures in place so that in the event of a crisis, you can continue to operate as a highly functioning team. 

Jennifer also addressed the unique challenges this situation presents, and shared how it can be seen as an important opportunity for leaders to look within themselves and come to an awareness of what they need as individuals, while also considering what other employees, teams, and the organization as a whole need to succeed. The leaders that do this are the ones who will truly shine. 

Leaders also need to look at their organization as a whole. Now, more than ever, they need to engage every single team member in meaningful ways. Giving colleagues a sense of purpose and making them feel that the work they’re doing is contributing to the overall success of the organization is vital.  We know that inclusive leaders are effective leaders, and during a crisis, we need to be more effective than ever. This may require that we step outside of our comfort zones. Doing so could lead to new, innovative practices that we may not have otherwise discovered. 

So, how can we engage all of our team members at a time like this? Jennifer noted the importance of the Commitments purposeful leaders must make to their teams, with a specific focus on Inspire. We need to break away from 3-year business plans and nebulous thinking and discover what will inspire our teammates this week, today, and even in our next meeting.  

Leaders, what commitments will you make to inspire those you lead? 

To hear more insights from Jennifer and other high-profile leaders, check out her episode on Power Lunch Live.