Lessons from the military for COVID-time leadership

Militaries recognize that morale, unit cohesion, mental health, and family stability affect performance. The stress of a sudden crisis will exacerbate preexisting personnel issues, as well as create new ones. As a result, militaries have developed institutional mechanisms to address these challenges. You may recruit the service member, but you retain the family.

Often too the end of the crisis is the start of a new set of challenges; most military units see an increase in mental-health issues after, not during, a combat deployment. Business and government leaders should prepare for these challenges as well. For a large portion of the workforce, the pandemic will be the most stressful period in their lives. Financial insecurity, health concerns, changes in the patterns of family life, isolation—all have made the past few months a daunting experience that will certainly linger as economies restart and enter the “next normal.”

Further reading: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/lessons-from-the-military-for-covid-time-leadership?cid=other-eml-onp-mip-mck&hlkid=9f7cac27b31a408480ba968724632f09&hctky=11705927&hdpid=19281734-5301-475e-8f3b-c847f3424595