After his symptoms did not improve he was admitted to hospital. He continued to work.
Still his condition did not improve and he was transferred to ICU. We’re told he didn’t need to be ventilated. There is less information about whether he was still working or not!
The latest word is that he has been transferred back to the ward which hopefully signifies an improvement in his condition, finally.
I wish him a full and speedy recovery. However, as a leadership coach watching from afar, I think if I was his coach I would have worried that he didn’t prepare two things. In my opinion:
He should have taken sick leave from the outset. Graveyards are full of indispensable people. We all know that when we continue to work through an illness it slows our recovery.
He should have had a very clear succession plan and it should have been enacted once his fever started, not only to give himself a chance to recover, but also for those who have had to step up and take over in a hurry. In addition, it would have enormously reassured the public, who it seems are feeling anything but reassured at the moment.
If you’re a business owner who hasn’t thought yet about a succession plan for your company, here are a few questions to prompt a back up plan that could mean the difference between business continuity and closing:
Who could and should take over from you if you became ill?
Who could take over from them in turn?
What information would they need to take the reins?
Is this clear and agreed with everyone, including staff?
What are the systems needed to ‘enact’ this plan? e.g. texting, e-mail, log in details.
Until next week, take care and stay at home – you are safe at home.
If you become ill, please seek medical attention without delay. Don’t self-diagnose!
All the best,
Lisa.
P.S. I have been coaching not only leaders but the people named in their succession plan too so that they build leadership capacity in a hurry, can step into the top role at a moment’s notice if they need to, and be prepared and confident doing that. If you are a leader or middle manager please contact me to ask about options. You may need just one session of 1.5 hours and then you will be able to take it from there.
For everyone: check out the range of options I have put in place to make coaching and resilience development as accessible as possible for all and to suit all budgets.
