How do you lead during a pandemic when there’s no playbook? How do you sustain your team’s culture in a remote environment? What will the future of the workplace look like after COVID-19? These are all questions that AF Ventures‘ Managing Partner Jordan Gaspar and ForceBrands‘ Founder and CEO Josh Wand address in a candid and timely virtual discussion.
“It’s rising tides in this industry — people want to see other companies succeed,” Gaspar said of the consumer brand universe coming together amid the pandemic. “I love that this has been a period where when all of the dominos fell and it was like 52 pick-up, that our management teams were there for each other. That was probably the most inspiring part of this.”
On the subject of taking care of their organizations and keeping them thriving in a challenging climate, both leaders agreed that it comes down to nurturing their team members. For Wand, leading in a pandemic has given him a higher sense of gratitude, especially as he’s in the recruiting space during a time of the highest unemployment since the Great Depression.
“I’ve never felt more lucky and grateful for having great people to work with,” Wand said. “They are the ones that pull us through. They are the ones that come together. They are the ones that collaborate. Without great people — without taking care of them and recognizing that and appreciating that — you won’t have a great company.”
Watch their discussion below:
