It's funny and fascinating to me that the entire planet has somehow agreed that finishing first, second, or third is deserving of a precious medal and historic acclaim, but fourth is essentially meaningless. It's interesting that the current system didn't start at the first modern Olympics in 1896, but eight years later. I can't find any explanation of why there are three winners instead of just one, or four, or seven. And yet it's absolutely ingrained into the collective conscious of humanity.

I am grateful for those leaders who are gifted and committed to building healthy organizations that are ready to thrive after they move on. But I have a growing appreciation for the reality that there are other ways to succeed as a leader. The failure comes when we misunderstand or never explore what we really care about.

In typical years we can manage our energy with varying amounts of effort. We can seamlessly shift from a comfortable, sustainable pace to something just a little more intense for a limited time to accomplish a particular goal and then ease off a little. We usually have all kinds of range between just getting by and going full out. But that's not the case right now.

These are emotional times for everyone and leaders are not always comfortable expressing emotion as part of our leadership. That may be because we are not very well in tune with our own emotions. It may be because we have accepted a myth that leadership is a stoic exercise where feelings are a sign of unwelcome weakness. Or it may be because we have seen too many poor and suspect examples of leaders misusing emotion in ways that erode trust and credibility.

So, what is the place of expressing emotion in leadership?

Under the pressures we are facing this year there are many temptations to address problems in ways that prioritize something different than the values we promote. When we take those options we reveal that we aren't truly committed to the cost of our values. We also set a precedent for future compromises.

Leaders are champing at the bit to start preparing for that emergence. We are eager to put plans in place, make adjustments, and get moving on all the many old and new initiatives that will mark whatever the new normal becomes. Our followers are looking to us for both assurance that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and that we will be ready when we get there.

But many people have no capacity to invest in that future right now and may even push back against plans that they will eventually happily support.

There are decisions you can make in a time of crisis that won't fly when things are more stable. The New Kid card and the Crisis card allow you to understand and expose things that are often avoided and have people accept the changes you need to make even if they are costly. Don't make change for change's sake to try to prove to the staff or board that you deserve your new job; but when you are convinced that something needs to be done, do it decisively.

Some moments are high leverage, and this is certainly one of them. Physical separation from our teams doesn't prevent us from deepening our connections and affirming our shared commitments. In some cases the change of situation becomes an excellent opportunity to make impactful adjustments.

So, how can leaders improve their culture in the midst of great challenges?

There are no guarantees in leadership. That is more clear than ever these days. Being the one who points out the elephant or challenges the value of the cow may be a career limiting move. Some leaders and organizations aren't willing or able to even consider that these things are actually problems that drag against the good you are trying to do. That sucks, but it is occasionally the case.

Some experts estimate that as many as half of Canadian charities may face permanent closure by the end of this year. Others are forecasting that a dramatic drop in donation revenue will hit hardest in early 2021 and last for a year or more from then.

A lot of good organizations may not survive.

So what can we do to better our chances?