Four Things Leaders Need To Do Right Now 

You can’t move your team to action unless you first move them with emotional care. The heart comes before the head.

Two of my most healthy clients have ended up in the emergency room within the the last couple weeks. Both went in to the ER with fear they were having a heart attack due to the stress, anxiety, pressure, and uncertainty of what our world is facing right now.

Thankfully, it wasn’t heart attacks for either but rather stress and anxiety attacks. 

I’ve been reminding every leader and friend that I know this has been a brutal attack not only with COVID-19 but the relentless pressure and increased stress hormone cortisol.

It’s like we’ve been in a 15-round heavy weight boxing match with little time to recover between rounds. If you are feeling it, your team is feeling it just as much, if not more.

I want to make this message short and sweet. There are four things leaders need to provide their teams with immediately.

1. Keep a good check on the emotional well-being for you and your team.

  • Ask, “how they are feeling?”
  • Describe your emotional health in one or two words
  • Allow for the recognition of their emotions, anxieties, and feelings
2. Encourage them with words and stories of hope. 
  • Share times when things looked bleak but you made it through
3. Recast a new 90-day vision plan.
  • The old playbook doesn’t apply
  • Don’t look too far down the road, focus on the next 90-days
4. Remind them to infuse positivity in their communications.
  • Our emotions are contagious and so are our words
  • Let this be a time to lead the way with positive communication to our clients, customers, and strategic partners
Your team needs your encouragement and hope. Be a positive leader today!

Here’s to your emotional health and well-being!

—Steve


As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.

To book Steve today, contact Michelle Joyce!
(For information on keynote presentations, team workshops, and one on one coaching.)

“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”

About the Author

Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a Seattle-based leadership development company. Steve is a dynamic, highly-sought-after speaker who has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to a list of clients including Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Pandora Radio, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Corporation, the Ritz Carlton group, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He recently was voted #1 by the readership of Huffington Post as the Most Inspirational Leader on Social Media.

A published author on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve resides near Seattle with his wife Julie where they enjoy time with their three adult children and six grandchildren.