I have a saying, “You win some or you learn something…in either case you get a prize!” Often, the prize of greater value is what is learned! I am finding that within companies and organizations, the lessons learned and acted upon, have set the stage for a better future and sadly, for others, the lessons not learned are going to play significantly in those futures also. Covid, was and remains a threat and a challenge. It is also a great learning opportunity. Until Covid is totally subdued, not unlike the “Black Plague” or Polio, it is an opportunity to learn some amazing things. This is what I have learned.

“Hoarding” is a common behavior with all people. When taken to an extreme is can be VERY costly to companies and organizations. Do you know how to see the difference between normal hoarding and that which is shackling or worse draining the life from your future or the future of your company or organization?

Darwin theorized and it is now widely accepted that “survival of the fittest” rules supreme in the animal kingdom. In business, “fittest” is not just about strength, it is also driven by intelligence and adaptation. The current economic situation will force many individuals to fend for themselves and build and sell goods and services that will compete with and erode the foundations of “Big-ger Businesses”.

One of the major roles of being a leader is making decisions. It is said that “great leaders make great decisions.” But oftentimes, leaders are blindsided with results they did not foresee, and their choices fall significantly short of expectations or worse, they have a negative impact. This leads us to asking the question, “How do the great leaders avoid decisions that can hurt or destroy a company or an organization?”

One of the phrases, often taught, was the phrase “mission critical”. The phrase, “mission critical” is often used to describe a project or initiative and its importance to an organization. In the proper use of the phrase, “mission critical” means that the overall organization can not achieve success without it. Often, it is meant to motivate “the team”.

It is said that “history is our greatest teacher and that it will relentlessly repeat its messages until we learn the lessons that it intends to teach…”

Whether or not you live by that axiom, there is an important question that each, individual, business or organization needs to be asking. That question is, “Have I learned to meet the challenges presented by the Covid pandemic so that history will not repeat itself?”