Post-COVID Leadership Is Needed Now
Randy Wolken, President & CEO

I have dedicated a lot of time to writing and talking about the emerging post-COVID world. I am convinced so much has changed in the past year. This experience will profoundly alter the world we live in. When our world changes, we need to sit up and notice. And then we need to adapt. What have you noticed about your world now? Are you prepared to adapt?

The past year has been trying for all of us. Leaders adjusted to new work requirements due to the pandemic. Remote teams determined how and when to return to work sites. Our digital work has allowed us to continue to do our jobs, despite the pandemic. Necessary in-person work continued through added safety protocols.

Now, we are reaching another inflection point as vaccinations have occurred, and COVID has been reduced through innovative measures and a lot of hard work. With summer approaching, the prospect of a more normal life has emerged. This will require leadership. We will need to create the conditions to return to work and our way of life. These in-between periods can be challenging for everyone.

Leaders and individuals will need to listen and learn as we make changes. It will not be dramatic or sudden, like the quick transition that took place last March. However, our transition back will be just as crucial. It must be our priority to open our economy more fully, send children back to in-person school in the fall, and reclaim our ability to be with more people more often. Patience and perseverance will be the key. We will get there, but it won’t happen overnight.

MACNY will continue to assist in this effort. Our team will continue to provide digital programming to help you understand what others are doing, what you should do, and what challenges lie ahead. Our Keeping People Safe and Factories Running effort has shifted to helping companies get more individuals vaccinated and moving beyond the pandemic crisis stage. We will also help companies implement the requirements that will remain in place as we go forward.

We will need your help as a community as we advance. I know you will be successful because you have been successful in the past. I see economic growth as companies are adding production capabilities and people. There is growing optimism. I am excited about what is yet to come. And, of course, I am grateful for all that you have done and will continue to do to make our community strong. Post-COVID leaders are needed now more than ever. Thanks for being one of them.