Every day you read a new headline that details the devastating health, economic, political and personal impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on our way of life. As I write this, we are in the fifth week of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have all had to adapt to working remotely while we deal with the chaos of changing conditions and uncertain times.

The current situation is real and serious. If we all focus on the things that are in our control, there is a path forward that can help the business community not only survive, but also thrive.

Having successfully navigated my prior businesses through major challenges—such as the dot-com bubble burst, 9/11 and the Great Recession of 2008—I have made a number of observations over the years and learned some lessons I think can help us now. In light of the current crisis, I have also been reading current commentary on crisis management from some of our best business minds to divert my attention from the latest news cycles and focus instead on essentials like communication, employee needs, resilience and being part of a broader solution. The lessons that follow may seem counterintuitive, but if followed, they may help your organization and our industry successfully navigate these difficult times and end up in a position of strength.