Overcoming

One of the truths of leadership is that the crucible moments are the ones that shape, mold and define the culture. It is easy to show heart and caring, to connect and foster relationships when things are relatively calm and relatively predictable. But it is crisis that tells the tale.

For those of us who work in healthcare, there has been no greater crucible than COVID. A global pandemic was, of course, not something anyone expected and it was, at the very least, a trial by fire for healthcare leaders and organizations.

When we began to hear about this virulent virus, it was a virus having an impact in China. Many of us did not think it would be an issue in the United States, much less around the world. We naively believed that our sophisticated medical care, our high level research, our leading technology, would find prevention and cures quickly and effectively.

Of course, as we all know, that was not the case. In my organization, in late March 2020, we had a visit from a family member who turned out to be one of the earliest cases of COVID in the Northeast. His visit with his loved one brought the virus to us and it spread, without logic, quickly and widely.

There were instances of people dying before they showed any symptoms. Of a staff of 350, there was a point when more than 100 were out with COVID. We were dressed in PPE from head to toe, cleaning every surface with strong chemicals, erecting walls to create COVID isolation units.

It could have been a moment when the organization faltered, when morale was abysmal, when there was no unity. But the opposite happened. People bonded together, supported each other, found ways to smile and even ways to laugh.

Why did this occur? The answer is straightforward and simple. Leadership made sure that they were present and engaged, that no one was abandoned and everyone was supported. One employee went home ill with COVID. A manager called and asked what she needed. She lived alone and asked for Lysol and toilet paper. Within an hour, it was delivered to her door. An employee in the hospital was sent a video of management staff serenading her with “Lean On Me” to raise her spirits. This approach was not an exception, it was the rule.

We talked about being positive every day and we celebrated every victory. Every patient being discharged from COVID isolation came through the barrier to a hallway filled with music and lined with cheering staff. When vaccines became available, every employee had an opportunity to have their questions answered and concerns addressed individually. And the vaccine clinics were parties with balloons and music and lots of hugs.

Don’t get me wrong. Those COVID days took their toll. Some people retired, some lost loved ones and all of us lost our sense of “everything will be alright.” The way we see the world has changed. But so has the way we see one another—we know we can rely on each other, we know we are all in this together and we know that caring and heart unite us.