Leaders who learn to balance strength with sensitivity will create organizational stability, writes Laila Tarraf, chief people officer at Allbirds. "Blended leadership asks us to observe our words, behaviors and actions in order to assess where we presently are so we know where we must go," Tarraf writes.

Innovations are difficult to get right, in part because the rules and benchmarks are different from regular operations, writes Jesse Nieminen, who offers three steps for innovation-specific thinking. "This is how real leaders and innovators think: they find ways to change the system so that they can get to the result they want," he writes.

Humble leaders ask open-ended questions such as "What do you need from me?" and "How can we come together on this?" to elicit ideas and solutions from their team, writes former CEO Sabrina Horn. This approach isn't easy, as many CEOs and executives struggle to be vulnerable and prefer a veneer of all-knowing.

Leaders need to know that communication isn't one-size-fits-all, and they need to understand how their methods of communication and the platforms they use will affect employees, writes Scott Eblin. "If you don't take a strategic approach to your communications, it's way too easy to get into a reactive mode of always catching up to the curve," he writes.

One-on-one meetings won't be effective when managers use them to find fault, overlook opportunities to improve or dominate the conversation, writes Dan Rockwell. "Establish a culture where employees control most of the agenda during one-on-ones," he writes.

Employers should increase engagement efforts during the pandemic by conducting surveys, setting up focus groups, getting people's feedback via internal social media and interviewing employees individually, human resources leaders say. "Collecting survey data in 'bad' times is actually more or equally as important as [doing so] during 'good' times," says Chris Roederer, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Tampa General Hospital in Florida.

Micromanaging leaders may be "over-functioning" if they are jumping in to help without being asked, feel a need to do things their way or overworry about employee reactions, writes Jennifer V. Miller. "In a management context, leaders over-function because they perceive that their team member(s) are not able or responsible enough without the leader's assistance or intervention," she writes.

The 2021 State of Mental Health in America report found that 19% of Americans are dealing with mental health conditions, which can be exacerbated by pandemic-related stress. Employers can help ensure that workers feel supported through expanded mental health benefits, employee assistance programs, telehealth and mental wellness apps.

A study published in PLOS One found that pandemic-related stress and anxiety may be linked to a lower likelihood of getting adequate physical activity, even though that exercise could help maintain mental wellness. Lead study author Jennifer Heisz said that while exercising can help mitigate depression, respondents who felt more depressed actually had less motivation to be active, further emphasizing the importance of psychological support during difficult times.

It took more than a year to plan and execute this mission, but all 9 endangered giraffes have been transported from their home island in Lake Baringo to mainland Kenya. The island on which they had been living was under threat from rising water levels. And you gotta love the name the rescue team gave to the special barge they built for this delicate mission: GiRaft.

For APIC members only: This program gives you the information you need as health care providers concerning vaccine development, supply, production, usage and more. Speaker Rick Nettles, M.D., leads the US Infectious Diseases & Vaccines Medical Affairs team at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Register.

Learn from the experts over three days of inspirational keynotes, 100+ educational sessions, dynamic poster sessions and oral abstracts, and an interactive exhibit hall. Join us June 28-30. Register now.