Five years from now, you'll be discussing history in two phases—one before COVID-19 and the second in the post-pandemic period.

Businesses worldwide have unique crises, but the ambitious leaders have helped their teams remain afloat on water.

Whether you're running a small startup, a medium-sized business, or a large corporation, the CVOID-19 has transformed the way we do business. So, as a leader, it's your responsibility to adopt the change so that you too can survive.

1. Begin with self-care

Business success begins with self-care. 2020 has already been a stressful year for everyone. One important thing that you can do is take time out, get away from all the devices and make it a habit to sleep more, exercise more, and go for walks around your neighborhood.

You cannot lead an organization with a stressful mind—lower the crises by getting close to nature.

2. Show confidence in your team

In challenging times, people often want to step up and show their work. Don't limit anyone from showing their potential. As a leader, your job is to provide the right direction and step away from your team. Let them do their magic.

Include your team in the critical discussions, and you'll be amazed by the collective innovation and creativity your team will bring.

3. Be prepared and plan hard

Discuss the 'what-if' strategies with your team, figure out things that can go wrong, and plan alternate solutions.

Plan ahead of the crisis. Think of the worst scenarios and plan with your team. It will be easy for the team to make rapid decisions and minimize the damage when you've well-defined scenarios.

Because upon crisis, it's difficult to function well, so instead of taking random decisions under pressure, be ready and prepare yourself for various scenarios.

4. Clear communication

Never assume things about your team.

Communicate things clearly & honestly so that the team doesn't have to second-guess things.

If you want to get something done, say it. If you think a team member needs improvement, discuss it privately. And don't forget to praise your people in public.

When people are stressed out, it's important to share information right from the start. Don't leave anything on chance.

Nothing happens automatically. Explain to your team how you want things to be done.

5. Show empathy

Empathy is understanding the feelings of others and knows why they did what they did. Everyone is wired differently, so if someone responds to a situation differently, consider it as normal. It's okay to show your true feelings, and as a leader, you need to show your employees that you care for them.

Understand the different working styles of people and deal with them accordingly.

6. Be transparent and study the facts

Trust and honesty are critical traits of a true leader.

If the team trusts that the leader is honest with the company and the people, they'll love to take a bullet for you.

The next thing is to study the facts before taking any action. The more information you have, the better you'll be able to make the right decision. Visionary leaders don't withhold any information from the team and the customer.

In the moment of crisis, leaders share the actual situation and discuss how things can be done.

7. Reward your team

After the pandemic, it's challenging for people to adjust to the new routine. So you might need to ask people to do more. Instead of asking for a favor, reward those who work harder. When people are being fired, salaries are cut down; this initiative will refresh your company.

8. Stay hopeful for the future

The good news is the world is back to normal, but your employees and clients need some motivation to go on. Be a beacon of hope in the post-pandemic world. Keep a positive outlook and focus on what's possible.

Instead of complaining, find solutions to problems. As a leader, it's your responsibility to give hope to your people.