COVID-19—the mere mention strikes a sour reaction in the minds and hearts of everyone on the entire planet. All of our lives have been impacted, and may I say, even traumatized by the small but mighty coronavirus identified in 2019. It has made an indelible mark on every individual that no amount of hand washing or sanitizer can erase. Thousands have lost their lives, millions have lost their livelihoods and kids were dismissed from school for what would become a never ending Spring Break, now missing their classmates and formal education. Almost all human interaction and relationships have suddenly been halted. We will all never forget the events that have unfolded before us.
Community Resilience Initiative Training Director, Rick Griffin has found a way to take that which has tormented the world since late last year, and turn it into the necessary steps toward creating the leadership required to show us the way back to what now seems like an almost carefree way of life. He knows that if ever we as a people needed resilience, now is that time. The ability to return to a place of normalcy will require leaders who can take the cards we have been dealt and play them to the best advantage for all.
Using the World Health Organization identification of the virus, Rick has created an acronym that brings to surface those fundamental qualities good leadership needs in this, and any, time of crisis.
Collaboration: working together as one to get it done
Optimism: keeping an eye towards the future while keeping it real
Vulnerability: displays personally those feelings of susceptibility we all have
Inside out: leading with well thought out plans constructed internally
Delegation: no one person can do it alone
1st position: no leader can show the way from behind the pack
9: the whole 9 yards. True leaders stick with it until the job is done.
COVID-19 can take on a whole new meaning aligned with hope and a brilliant outlook that inspires others to rally together. Leadership that fills us with courage and strength of purpose is the foundation of community resilience. Individual resilience is often found alone inside of a single person, but when the group is as large as the world itself, Rick knows that we need as many leaders as we can create with the qualities of collaboration, optimism, vulnerability from the inside out; leaders who can delegate in the 1st position and stay the whole 9 yards.
Recently there was a meme on the internet that was Doc from Back to the Future telling Marty, “Whatever you do, do NOT travel to 2020.” Using the techniques provided by Rick’s trainings, we can become the drivers of our own DeLoreans, turning a year riddled with chaos into one worth revisiting. We are truly ALL in this together, so let’s take the lemons we have been given and use Rick’s recipe to make lemonade. Follow CRI back to the future!
Written by Sheri Juarez
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