A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved

In times of crisis, people often feel significantly more vulnerable. The uncertainty and the concern about what the future might bring or how change will impact them, can cause worry, anxiety and make people feel helpless for potentially not having sufficient resources to face what might come next. For leaders, there is a sense of risk, that addressing vulnerability and concern, is expressing weakness at a time when they need or want to show strength.

This article highlights the challenges and pressures that managers and leaders face in times of national or global crisis and having to balance acting both as a figure of strength and stability for their teams, while simultaneously expressing shared concern and empathy with them.

The benefit of taking a pro-active approach is that by working together and talking, especially in uncertain and challenging times, when leaders and teams tackle a problem together, the result may be to make everyone feel stronger.

https://hbr.org/2020/08/8-ways-managers-can-support-employees-mental-health