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3 Tips on How to Keep Your Best People During a Crisis

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If you’d like to build yourself up so you can continue to perform at a high level no matter the circumstances that surround you at the moment, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown


I’ll admit it, I’m a little scared. I don’t know how this is going to pan out, let alone the short term and long term effect it will have on my business. As a business owner, this is the worst time to hide. It is your responsibility to address your staff and let them know how your organization is going to respond and survive.

I won’t tell you how to run your business. I know that some businesses have to furlough and lay off people. I get it. I also know that good people are hard to find. Especially leaders. I’m going to share with you 3 tips on how to keep your best people during a crisis.

1. Repeat your purpose

If you tell a brick layer to start laying down bricks with no specific purpose or vision of what is being done, the brick layer will eventually quit from fatigue or boredom. If you tell a brick layer that every brick they lay is for a wall that is going to insulate and protect their country, or to shelter their own family, the brick layer now has a sense of purpose.

What vision are you painting for your team right now? Doom and gloom? Or are you sharing your emergency response plan? People only care about food and shelter in moments of desperation, but with people being forced to stay at home, there has been a surge in the home fitness industry, food delivery services, and the need for in-home entertainment. TMZ even reported that there was a strip club using Instagram to live stream their dancers.

I’m confident that somewhere in all this craziness there is a demand for your product or service. Remind your team of that need. Right now you have to sell, sell, and resell your team on the current and future demand of what you have to offer.

2. Delegate

When things get tough and money gets tight is when business owners and managers pull the reins back by letting people go. Then to make matters better, they try to assume all the responsibilities of those they had to furlough or let go. Now is not the time for you to put more on your plate unless you absolutely have to. Now is the time for you to lead and find solutions.

Get your best people and delegate more responsibilities to them. This might sound counterintuitive but there’s a reason you’ve identified them as your leaders. I am often surprised by the results of giving my busiest people more work.

During this crisis I have assigned members of my own team new projects to work on. Ideally I’d recommend projects that can generate immediate revenue, but these projects might also include long term growth opportunities that the team hasn’t gotten to yet because of time constraints. Most people are going to have a lot more time on their hands right now.

3. Virtual Hugs

Zoom shares have skyrocketed in the midst of this crisis for obvious reasons. Microsoft Team users have risen by 40% in the last week. Face it, we’ve learned that we can do a lot of things remotely. The compound effect this will have on commercial office space is yet to be revealed.

Productivity aside, there is an additional benefit to these virtual meetings. Human interaction and connectivity. Human beings are social animals. Leave us alone too long in confinement and we’ll start talking to ourselves. The biggest plus to these virtual meetings is the ability to connect with people again. When one of your best team members feels like they are a one woman/man island, they are easier to pick off by other organizations who are willing to listen to them vent.

Take a couple extra minutes to connect with your team. Ask them how they are doing. Listen. You’d be surprised how important lending an ear is for the well being of your tribe.

May we all come out of this united, stronger, and wiser. I hope that these 3 quick tips help your business or organization weather this storm.

My name is Paul Argueta. I have been featured on the Inc 5000 list twice. I own a real estate brokerage and employ over 100 independent contractors as real estate agents. I am a huge sports nut and decided that I would find a way to combine sports with real estate. These days I assist Pro Athletes during their relocation process and even E-Sports gamers. I am happily married with 5 children. Balancing the pursuit of success while being a present husband and father is a challenge and my passion. You can reach me at https://www.facebook.com/talktopaulargueta.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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leadership tips for new CEO
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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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