Last month, Kim and I sat down for lunch at a neighborhood restaurant. We talked about coronavirus, and about the impact it was having around the world. Then the table behind us talked about it. Then I heard the table next to us talking about it.

Now, just a few weeks later, the subject has radically altered our lives, our rhythms, and dominated the headlines.

In uncertain times, we have to work harder to maintain a positive outlook. And a positive outlook is exactly what our world needs right now, starting with:

• You
• Your family
• Your team

How we respond will undoubtedly lay the groundwork for years to come. What happens in the next month will shape how you live and lead into the next 5 years and beyond.

How can you build a positive outlook that multiplies throughout your circles of influence? Here are a few ideas:

Stay Connected

My friend Jonathan is bothered by the concept of “Social Distancing.”

I get where he’s coming from.

His opinion isn’t about the public health benefits of distancing our proximity from others. But in an already distant, disconnected world, the more distant we are, the less we can tap into the life-giving relationships around us.

I wrote this week about skills for the New Generation Leader, including the vital importance of deep relationships and friendships. Our trend is toward fewer and fewer close relationships. If we keep distancing ourselves, we will only drive this trend further.

Even if it’s only a temporary change, we still need to invest in relationships.

How can we do this? While technology has tended to drive us toward a larger quantity of lower quality relationships, the tools at our fingertips were made for a time like this.

Your phone likely has FaceTime / Google Hangouts.

1. FaceTime or call an extended family member
2. Check in on an older neighbor who may be isolated
3. Text or message a member of your team

Check in, catch up, see how they’re doing.

If your team has been forced to work remotely, hop on a Zoom call with everyone. You can accomplish work virtually, if you can’t be physically in the same space.

Here’s why Zoom is a game-changer:

• Only you as the meeting host needs to have an account
• Share content via vide
• Video conference or dial-in options
• Breakout Rooms mean smaller group conversation is still possible

Open Your Zoom Account

Even if we can’t be in physical proximity with certain people in our world, that does not mean we need to be cut off.

But what to talk about — that’s what the Gears are for. More on that in Part 2 tomorrow.