Leadership vs Personal Choices in a crisis

Covid-19 is causing panic and some highly strange behaviours around the world. This brings out challenges for leaders at all levels as to how to maintain a business as usual approach, whilst re-assuring you team, your customers as well as your personal situation and safety.

As a foreigner working in a foreign country my personal experiences on this have been highly stresseful. A constant internal barrage of thoughts, decisions and opinions come and go and change on a constant timeline, which is very challenging personally. The daily management and communication our business has to continue to maintain momentum and continuity as well as staff stability and well being, whilst protecting our brands. This is a given, but doesn't help in the situation of being an expat in other ways.

My situation is exaggerated in the fact that my wife and daughter are currently in Australia and myself and my son are in South Africa. My son and I boarded a plane to Australia on Saturday, only to change our plans mid way in Dubai and come back to Sth Africa with Australia imposing the 14 day quarantine as our trip couldn't easily allow self isolation. Now we are facing the ongoing challenges in deciding what to do with my wife flying back at uncertain times with borders, airlines, quarantine etc. We have changed flights for her, I've almost booked flights home many times, including today, and my wife is due to fly out of Australia tomorrow...

The back and forth and stresses come about on just what is the best location to be. Should we all go to Australia which has appeared to be in a panic and some chaos, should we stay in Sth Africa where we are not locals, and face an unknown and what will happen, and how will safety play out. the challenge is the longer we leave things, to all get together poses the threat that we will be prolonged in being apart as the world continues its responses and shut downs.

There is sense of necessity to remain from a work and team perspective, and a real torn call on what to do from personal level as to returning to Australia as doing so faces and unknown as to how long I would be stuck there.

It has been somewhat re-assuring hearing last nights press conference from Scott Morrison the Aussie PM, and just now from Cyril Ramaphosa the Sth African President on their respective next steps, both of which have not closed borders thus far. Our plans at the moment remain with my wife coming here in the next 48 hours.

It will be an interesting time, regardless of where we are I assume, but the most important thing is to have the family together and safe no matter where this is.

It has, and still is, a stressful period on both personal and professional levels....but I guess a good self development process. Just hope we are making the right choices, but once you decide you need to stick to the journey.

Good luck to you all in business and personally....