As we all face this “Goliath” called COVID-19—a coronavirus that now covers the globe—I believe we will bring down the giant, but with great loss and we will see our city, state, country and world changed forever, writes Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister in his new opinion piece.
Just as David, in the book of Samuel, said, “The Lord, who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will rescue me from the hand of Goliath.” And he did. David’s faith was focused on past experiences and success.
And in the same way, McCollister looks back to the tragedy and triumphs of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and the August 2016 flood. We came together, prayed together and leaned on one another—and had victory, by the grace of God. Another victory is in our future but it will be hard. That is truth—in a world that has forever changed.
Switching gears, McCollister talks about a recent speech given by Simon Sinek, an author, speaker and international thought leader. In a recorded video call with his staff, Sinek shared his revelations about this crisis and impact on their company.
Sinek explained that this upheaval in business is not unprecedented. Is it “more sudden? Absolutely. More shocking? Absolutely.” But he points to the internet and how it changed business forever. He spoke of streaming video and Starbucks and noted how Uber had disrupted the taxi business. Now we see what Amazon is doing to retail.
Sinek told his team: “The question and challenge is not, ‘How are we going to keep doing what we have been doing,’ but, ‘How are we going to change what we have been doing in a different world?’”
He pointed out that “those struggling are in survival mode—rather than reinvention mode. You can’t have a finite mindset.”
Like many have said: In a crisis, there is opportunity. Sinek asked his staff to take a forward-thinking perspective and ask, “What will we become,” and not, “How will we preserve what we had?”
McCollister writes that he has talked to many business owners recently. Some are confident, others fearful and some just have questions and don’t know what to think. It will take courage, innovation and a committed team to keep going.
Also in his column, McCollister talks about some of the specific ways the coronavirus is forcing businesses to adapt quickly and bringing problems to light that can be repaired. McCollister also thanks the Baton Rouge heroes keeping the city going. Read his full column here. Send comments to editor@businessreport.com.
