While this is a difficult time for business leaders (you don’t need reminding why) who are going through their toughest career tests, it also provides us all with an opportunity to step up and show our leadership mettle.

Many of the qualities that leaders are having to demonstrate in abundance, such as courage and resilience, are applicable to us all. Many now find themselves isolated and working from home, and with lives and working habits turned upside down, the adjustments can take their toll. Anxiety levels are on the rise understandably, which makes it all the more important for people and colleagues to keep in contact.

Yet as Albert Einstein reminds us, ‘In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.’ And that opportunity refers to individual performance as much as it to business success. Colleagues are rallying round to help and support each other, and those team bonds are being strengthened as a result. We also know only too well that our attitude can make such a big difference, now more so than ever before.

 Close relations

We can all go that extra mile and show what we’re made of. It shouldn’t just be the role of leaders to enquire about the wellbeing of their teams. Have you thought about asking your manager how he or she is doing? Irrespective of our position or role in the organisational chart, we can all demonstrate our leadership and human qualities. Don’t be afraid to air your opinions and take decisions – you might surprise yourself!

In the ‘Hidden Leader – Discover and Develop Greatness Within Your Company, authors Laurie Sain and Scott Edinger talk about relational ‘leaders’, individuals who may or may not have titles of so-called ‘power’ within an organization but who relish building relationships with people across the enterprise. These are trusted and valued individuals, not just for the contribution they bring to their own work but because they genuinely care about the good of the whole.

If you feel that you are perhaps lacking in confidence, maybe now is that opportunity to show your true abilities, talents or skills. You might want to first seek the opinions or those around you, the colleagues you trust the most, and see what they say about the areas you can improve on. And that’s a lesson for everyone – we all need to keep learning and improving!

And when things do eventually return to normality, we can all take a moment to take stock and take pride in the way we grew as individuals, both in our personal and professional lives.