In the last few months we’ve been thrown into the virtual world like never before. Many of us have quickly redesigned meetings, workshops, programs, conferences and events for the online space, that previously would have seemed impossible to host virtually.

Here are 10 lessons that are top of mind from experiences both facilitating and participating in virtual collaboration over recent months. I’d love to hear your learnings and reflections on what’s most important in the online space.

In the heat of a crisis, this question - What is needed here? - is a simple and powerful tool to guide our leadership. 

Greg Mullins, former NSW Fire Commissioner, reflected over the weekend on the leadership he had seen in working with multiple Prime Ministers (Howard, Abbott, Rudd, Gillard), across many disasters (NZ earthquake, Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Indian Ocean tsunami, Lindt Café Siege).

“I watched Prime Ministers step up into leadership roles and they were asking constantly: What’s needed? … there was no political partisanship… I’m not seeing (this from Prime Minister Scott Morrison). And I don’t understand it.”

Asking “What is needed here?” is a powerful leadership tool for three reasons: