Arianna Huffington

As COVID-19 spreads around the world, work and life as we know it will continue to be seriously disrupted. But based on the news coverage, you might think that the only preventive measures we can take are washing our hands regularly, trying not to touch our face, and avoiding people who are sick. We need to expand the conversation to make room for a crucial aspect of health that has received very little attention: one of the best things we can do to protect ourselves is to proactively strengthen our immune system. In a crisis, committing to building healthy habits becomes even more important.

The COVID-19 outbreak affects every aspect of our lives — our health, families, careers, finances, and more — and while everyone is experiencing this moment in their own way, the global scale of the crisis means the impact is universal. This much is clear: everyone is affected. And everyone needs support. There is no blueprint for how we as individuals, teams, and managers should be acting in this new normal. The crisis is still unfolding, but we have an immediate responsibility and opportunity to gain an even deeper understanding of our most important asset: our people.

We are at an inflection point for leaders. But meeting the challenges of navigating the new normal isn’t just about looking out; it’s about looking in. What’s missing from our conversation is how leaders need to show up ready to lead from what is best, wisest, most creative and empathetic in them. If ever there was a moment demanding a new leadership playbook, this is it.

If the new normal is to be better than the old one, we must stop living in the shallows and hurting our health and our relationships by striving so relentlessly and breathlessly after success as the world defines it. We have been missing what every philosophical and spiritual tradition tells us — that there is a place of wisdom, peace and strength in each one of us. We need to reacquaint ourselves with it!

We hear a lot about stockpiles of essential medical equipment and PPEs. But we also need to build our internal stockpiles so that we can build our mental resilience. How are we replenishing our own inner resources? How can we turn away from unhealthy coping behaviors and equip ourselves to come out of the pandemic wiser and more resilient than before? Just as we’ve had to make drastic changes to our lives to stop the spread of the virus, we need to take urgent steps to safeguard our mental health, too.