The battle of our time

Dear all,

We are facing the battle of our time. And this is only the start, as we need to fix our climate next, our economy, our lives, that right now are in hold.

Right now everything seems to be at stake; the world order, trust, mental health,  trade, our family, our work, social stability, supply chains, democracy, everything. Everything you belived in, everything you took for granted, everything you loved, everything.

And what can you do? You can do what you do best, but  you will quickly discover that you need to do it differently, with more creativity, with more flexibility, using new ways.

Despite all the planning, the systems, the processes, the use of new technology and platforms, that which will decide how we get throught this is how we as humans act in an effort to safeguard humanity. Yes, you have the skills, but now before you have exhausted your energy reserves, you need to mobilize your values to the front line. They are needed there to protect our values.

Managing will not be sufficient to navigate throught this maze of surprises, only leadership will. This is the time to empower your people on the ground. Ask them to lead, to improvise, to make the decisions, to live our values. This is now the only way to lead and to rise. And you will also need others to share the burden with you.

Because those around you, family, friends, and other people who depend on you, may not understand how it is to be you right now. You are now a leader, within the confinemnts of your home. Simultaneously your mind is preoccupied with multiple concerns, with risk and damage control. You feel like goal keeper in a penalty shootout where the rules keep changing and which seems to have no defined end. And simultaneously, you are trying to exceed some expectations, while attempting to deliver on promises made long ago, in a different time, unnder very different circumstances.

We all may in addition have a role in the mobilization of resources, whether it be contributing to solving specific problems such as shipping food,  concrete government supply specification, and vigilance for the most needy. Some of you might even search and finn opportunities at times like this.

I am hoping that you will be able to improve, adapt and overcome. Still, depending on how long and deep this crisis is, some difficult choices will have to be made, and some have been made already. You will have to decide wich people you ask to put in extra effort and which to put on leave, wich customers to give priority and which to disappoint, which suppliers to pay now, and which to ask for support. Your ability to show empathy will be put to the test. You will also have to decide where to cut cost and where to invest, with no textbook or precedent to rely on. None of the decisions will be easy.

I am writing you  to say that Elegantweb is here for you and your team, your workers and their representatives. We will try to support you all in any and every way we can.

This is our challenge , and we have taken it on.

All the best,

Elegantweb