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The Calling of Leadership During Unprecedented Uncertainty – Part 1 (WORKSHOP)

Dirk Beveridge, the third speaker of the first day of AED’s Leadership Conference and founder of Unleash, provided attendees with a highly engaging session that amassed 192 live participants during his virtual workshop. The session, The Calling of Leadership During Unprecedented Uncertainty, was sponsored by Sycor, a gold level Microsoft and SAP company aiming to find the best IT solutions for you and your company.

Beveridge began his session by speaking on leadership’s importance during this pandemic, encouraging leaders by stating, “Keep Leading, your team, your organization, the world needs you…The role of a leader has all eyes on you, and THIS is our moment. WE have been called to be here at this moment.”

He referenced other times of crisis we have persevered through, including 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, to show Leadership attendees the importance of resilience during times of struggle.

The acronym, CRISIS, was used to help explain this resilience that allows leaders to succeed in further detail:

Calm
Resolve
Inspires
Service
Introspection
Strategic Action

Beveridge provided this acronym to demonstrate key traits and actions that leaders used during hard times in history, giving Winston Churchill an example.

As he continued day one of his workshop, Beveridge focused on the three pillars that inspire leadership during uncertain times: values, tomorrow and people. These focuses were vital in his session, maintaining that they are the key elements that will help businesses thrive in unprecedented times.

Values: Beveridge emphasized that this is “a time to lean into our core values.” Understanding what drives your business and the motivators will help you make the best decisions for your business and team.

Tomorrow: Beveridge maintained the age-old saying of “This too shall pass” when describing this pillar. He urged the audience to remember that these times will see an end, and it’s essential to make sure your business comes out on top. He offered a simple yet meaningful piece of advice: “embrace the hard times because most don’t.”

People: As the world works to find balance in its “new normal,” Beveridge stressed the importance of not losing sight of the people that make up your organization. Recognizing that this is a challenging time for not only businesses, but their employees will help your business turn out on top. Offering a helping hand when your employees need it most is a gesture that will not be forgotten.

Beveridge wrapped up his first day of Leadership Conference by breaking participants off into groups for the workshop portion. Beveridge’s second session will take place tomorrow, August 20, at 1:00 pm CST.