Lessons from Leading a Business in During the War In Ukraine
As the world marked the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last month, a recent Harvard Business Review article shared first-hand stories from a diverse group of Ukrainian business leaders on the challenges leading a business in the midst of a grueling war.
Having served as a NATO and UN peacekeeper in conflict zones recently, these stories hit home for me - even moved me to tears - as they echoed a lot of what I experienced firsthand in my missions.
The stories of these brave business leaders offer humbling lessons on resilience and purpose. But the lessons that most resonated for me were the lessons on empathy (taking care of your people no matter how hopeless things might appear) and gratitude (taking time out to appreciate the beauty of even the smallest moments).
Empathy
The Ukrainian business leaders interviewed by HBR consistently emphasized how empathy has become a central theme in their leadership, whether by offering financial support to struggling employees, insisting burned-out workers take time off, or simply listening to employees.
“You know, most of the time, when I talk to my colleagues, I don’t just talk about work. I talk to them as people. And I think they can see that the conversation isn’t just about business, that I’m also thinking about them on a personal level, and so they just naturally open up a little more. It inspires a kind of hope, a kind of positivity.
For example, before the war, I had sold my car to one of my employees on credit. She was going to pay me back in installments, but once the war started, I told her it wasn’t necessary to pay me back. And it turned out that the car ended up helping her and her husband a great deal, because it was a four-wheel drive, and without it, they might not have been able to escape Kyiv. Things like this bring people together around you.”
— Yevhen, Kyiv
Founder and general manager, grain and oil seeds trading company
“You just need to listen to your people. You need to really listen — don’t just hear what they say, but tune in to how they’re really doing.
I had a team lead with two small children, and her mother lived near Mykolaiv, in an area that was occupied by Russia. She was a great woman, a really strong manager, but I could see that with everything going on, she was increasingly stressed. But sometimes people aren’t always able to take their own temperature. At first, she insisted that she was okay, but we talked more, and I just listened, and eventually she realized just how taxing it had all been for her. From there, we were able to work together to figure out how the company could help and how we could move forward as a team.
No matter what, that’s my approach: We are all one team. I don’t believe in treating people differently, whether they’re a freelancer or full time, junior or senior, marketer or engineer. Sometimes, when there were blackouts, some of our freelancers couldn’t find a place to do their work, since all the cafes and free spaces were totally full, so I asked my team to organize some workspaces for them. One of my clients was surprised, because he thought it wasn’t our responsibility to do all that. But I don’t believe you can start splitting the team, as if some people are more important than others. We’re all people, we all care about each other, and we’re all facing these challenges together.”
— Natalia Tkachova, Odesa
Project manager and team lead, TechMagic
Ask yourself: How can I show up with empathy with my team this week?
Gratitude
According to the HBR authors, the Ukrainian business leaders almost universally shared moments of deep gratitude in the midst of tragedy. They described how they would take just a brief pause to acknowledge the positives in their lives, giving them the energy, motivation, and optimism to carry on.
“I run a recruiting agency that helps international companies hire tech talent in Ukraine. Before the war, our pitch was essentially, “Hey, Americans, we know what you pay for developers — come to Ukraine and you can get the same quality for half the price.”
But when the war started, many of our customers felt it was too risky to hire Ukrainian developers, or open Ukrainian offices, so we lost a lot of business. It was a really a hard time, there was a lot of uncertainty, but it also showed me how much I have to be grateful for. My team was incredible, willing to do whatever needed to be done to keep the company afloat. And of course, I’m really grateful for the folks protecting our country on the front lines, giving us the opportunity to keep working and creating value for our customers. We’ve faced some tough times, but really, I’m so fortunate to be where I am. For me to complain just wouldn’t make sense, not when there are people who are actually giving up their lives for our country every day.
Even small things, I learned to appreciate to a new level. For the first few days, for instance, the whole economy stopped, supermarket shelves were empty, I couldn’t even buy diapers for my one-year-old. Then one day, I was able to get some, and I felt such joy at being able to get something I used to take for granted.
I remember another time, I was going to bed after a long, 16-hour workday, and I said to my wife, “I feel really happy right now.” I was spent, exhausted, but I felt that I had given my work and my family everything I could that day, no more, no less. And I remember thinking, if I could live my whole life that way, I would die happy.”
— Bogdan, Lviv
CEO, tech talent recruitment agency
“I lead an ed-tech startup, and both our in-house team and the teachers on our platform were amazing. Everyone adapted to the challenges, some even teaching from their basements during the blackouts.
But we were supposed to receive our next tranche of investment on February 28, and of course, that didn’t turn out to be in the cards. Plus, we gave students free access to our platform as soon as the war started, to help families who may be displaced. So, well, cash flow has been a challenge.
Yet some days, I’m still just overwhelmed with gratitude. Take this morning: I’m in my house, and a beautiful winter day is all around me. I’m with my husband, we just finished breakfast, and the morning feels like a small holiday, just because we are alive, and we can see these beautiful surroundings, and I have my team and my family with me. And we have the opportunity to help so many people through our work, to inspire people and support students and teachers all around the world. Sometimes, I have days like that: amazing days.”
— Nataliia Limonova, Kyiv
Founder and CEO, GIOS (interactive math platform for students and teachers)
