How to... lead in extraordinary times

Gareth Kemp, MD of Apollo Brands says his team has focused on thinking differently and developing new ways to engage customers ‘in dealing with our new reality’

May 31, 2020 at 0:00 am

As the world faces the unprecedented crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies need to adopt a bold and adaptable approach.

This is the view of Gareth Kemp, MD of Apollo Brands (Under Armour SA). He says that since lockdown his team has challenged each other “to focus on what we can control, to think differently and develop new ways to engage our customers in dealing with our new reality”.

He has the following advice:

Take all health and safety measures necessary to keep employees safe.
Be transparent and keep employees informed about company decisions and how they could affect them.
Communicate with staff timeously — don’t let them worry about what might be happening.
Be supportive and check in regularly.
Don’t manage down. “It’s very important to listen, guide, challenge and support every member of the organisation through all levels, allowing management from the bottom up. Even more importantly, as a strong leader you need to give freedom to allow individual creativity and ownership. This is where you see unique greatness starting to evolve within the business structure.”