The 3 steps every leader should take to better manage their team during COVID-19, according to a leadership expert and a Harvard Business Review author

• Charles Galunic is a professor of organizational behavior at business school INSEAD. He has taught students about leadership for more than 25 years. 

• His new book, "Backstage Leadership: The Invisible Work of Highly Effective Leaders," came out on June 11.
• He wrote it before the COVID-19 outbreak, but, as he told Business Insider, much of it is relevant to the world of remote working.
• He outlined three actions every leader should take to master management of their team.
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As a professor of organizational behavior at business school INSEAD who has taught lessons on leadership for more than 25 years, Charles Galunic knows a thing or two about management. 

His work has been published in top academic journals such as the Harvard Business Review and Research in Organizational Behaviour, and his new book, "Backstage Leadership: The Invisible Work of Highly Effective Leaders," came out on June 11. It was written before the COVID-19 outbreak — but, in a call with Business Insider, he analysed the parts that are most relevant for today's world of work, and gave some extra tips on managing teams remotely. 

In his book, Galunic writes that leaders are too focused on improving their own skills and management style. They have forgotten about their "backstage work" — understanding the culture and values of both the organization and its employees. He outlined three specific actions every leader should take to better manage their teams. Read on to find out more. 

Detect challenges early to get ahead of disruptions

During normal times, leaders must know what's going on in their team even when they're not talking to employees. That's especially true during COVID-19, when everyone is working remotely. 

"I want leaders to see themselves as like an orchestra leader; you don't actually play the instruments, and you have to have influence [from a] distance," he said.

But simply knowing what's going on isn't enough — leaders must analyse and interpret their team's concerns as well as movements in the wider market, counteracting any problems before they arise and adapting their business plan if needed. 

"Every good leader is in part a sociologist," he said. Leaders must see "the storms before they become hurricanes" — practically, that means checking on your teams, and making sure they're ready to adapt to changes in their industry. It means keeping tabs on competitors, customers, and trade associations, and getting to grips with technological developments early on. 

Most importantly, leaders must plan time in their schedule to take action on any perceived challenges.

Don't centralize power

During COVID-19, companies must take decisions quicker than usual. This gives leaders lots of power, while limiting the power of anybody not in a decision-making role. Galunic suggested leaders should, urgently, think about the right balance between a top-down and bottom-up approach.

"Leaders will have to make decisions about how autocratic they will be, versus how much engagement they will offer," Galunic said. "They should give people an opportunity to contribute to become part of the solution and the survival of the companies."

Galunic said leaders should include each level of their organization in the brainstorming of ideas. That way, staff are more likely to get behind a decision. 

Connect people and build trust 

COVID-19 is a huge challenge, but also an incredible opportunity for leaders, Galunic said. The biggest threat to business culture during the pandemic is that it disconnects people, and creates distance between them. Leaders should do their best to bring people together and reconnect them, he said. 

"Leaders should provide that glue." They should communicate more than usual, and organize events where people can talk. This will build the trust essential to surviving in a post-coronavirus corporate world.

"Many companies will make it out of COVID financially, but they will be scarred for many years to come if their experiences are highly tribal, if they're very political, if there is a lot of infighting for resources," Galunic said. "Trust will be gone, and it'll take a long time to rebuild and those leaders may also be damaged, because they won't have the trust of people, because the way they've handled the crisis was dysfunctional."

Crisis can create chaos — but it can also create "lifetime bonds," he added.

SEE ALSO: Chris Kenna is a CEO and diversity expert who counts Unilever, L'Oréal, and Amazon among his clients. Here are his 5 tips for every leader to make their company more inclusive

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source https://www.businessinsider.com/3-steps-leaders-should-take-to-manage-team-covid-19-2020-7