Diane Lloyd is a coach, speaker and facilitator. She founded Inspired Results Group for leaders who are co-creating cultures, shaping conversations, and impacting lives in organizations around the world.
How are you coping right now, and how are you feeling about how the COVID-19 virus will affect the economy?
We are all experiencing a range of thoughts and emotions during this time of social distancing and economic freeze, and the best way for all of us to cope, is to have conversations about how we are truly feeling at any given time. Leaning on your inner circle of support right now to share your fears and feelings is the best way to stay resilient during a time of uncertainty. To deny ourselves this experience means that it will come up later in unhealthy ways, at inappropriate moments. And it’s Ok if your support system isn’t the people you are currently isolated with at home.
What advice are you giving your clients for riding this out?
I am always looking at this from a leadership lens, and right now we need courageous leadership more than ever! Courageous leaders are staying calm, being clear about expectations and what they know or don’t know, and they are staying curious and creative with possibilities to do things differently. This is how I am supporting my clients right now, by helping think differently about what being brave looks like in these moments of uncertainty.
What is the opportunity in the challenge?
What I notice right now is that people are really being guided by their values through their decision making and choices. Victoria is a generous, creative and resourceful community that cares about one another, and that is what we are seeing as the beautiful opportunity through this pandemic. Showing up for others in whatever way you can is the opportunity right now, and I believe that the new business innovations or service delivery models will come when we stay connected to our values, and think about the larger systems and needs that are emerging in our families and communities.
What advice have you applied or are you applying from previous experiences coping through crises?
I am trying to support myself by getting enough fresh air and exercise, connecting with people I care and about and limiting my social media and news exposure throughout the day. What is happening right now can be overwhelming for our brains and hearts to process, so I am a believer in staying informed, but not inundating myself with external noise. Right now, I want to stay connected to my inner compass and values as I show up for my family, friends and clients to support them to lead their teams through this changing landscape.
What are your resources right now? Do you have a mentor supporting you, peer group, books you read?
I have been leaning on my coach, my close friends, husband and my amazing team who are supporting one another (and me) to stay creative, hopeful and finding ways to serve others which is fundamentally what we do as coaches.
What advice do you have for others experiencing this alongside you?
I think the greatest challenge for us all is releasing expectations about everything right now. When we release those expectations, we can stay open to new possibilities with a curious mindset. Find your key people, ask for support, give support and don’t isolate yourself mentally and emotionally. This is a time for us all to lean on each other and create a new normal together from a place of hope.
