It's been more than 100 years since the world has faced a pandemic of this size. Not only have we been asked to make changes to the way we live and work, but we've been asked to make them virtually overnight. For some, the transition is a difficult one. And understandably so. We don't know how long the current situation will last or how bad it may get. For those of us in leadership positions, we have a responsibility to our organizations to help, to keep up morale and to strengthen those around us.

How do we do that? As the founder of Perry Law, P.C., my first concern is always the health and safety of my employees. As I began to understand the severity of the situation and following the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I asked everyone to begin working from home. I wanted my teammates to know that their livelihoods did not require risking their health. Technology allows us to do things that even five years ago would not have been possible. In many cases, accomplishing them is simply a matter of making sure your team has the right equipment. So that's what we did.

Making sure everyone has remote capabilities is a very clearly defined goal with an achievable solution. Maintaining morale in the face of this crisis is a different matter altogether. Being confined to your home week after week can be monotonous, depressing, and make one go more than a little stir crazy. To combat this, I've tried to bring some structure to everyone's day. We are fortunate enough to work in an industry that, with some adjustment, can function largely as it had before. But there is still plenty of work to be done. We speak to clients and hold regular conference calls with one another through Zoom and other platforms.

While there is a certain learning curve involved, these tactics give us the opportunity to communicate, if not face to face, then face-to-screen-to-face. These tools are being used by attorneys in mediation, and in some cases, even oral arguments. Here in the office, we've all come to realize how much we look forward to this time with each other. We're able to discuss our work, update one another on ongoing and upcoming projects, and feel more productive even though we're sheltering in place. In addition to work, we find things to celebrate with one another. One employee with an upcoming birthday will have a surprise cake delivered to her home and a virtual "birthday party" online. Keep that one to yourself: It's a surprise.

In addition to helping all of us through our day, these actions demonstrate value to those we work with by showing that our firm is agile and able to respond to their needs quickly and efficiently. Leadership means being able to adapt and to roll with the punches. We must be capable of doing that for our clients just as much as we do for members of our team.

We all work in industries with different challenges and will be affected by COVID-19 in different ways. However, I believe that much of what has worked for us can work for others. Even in isolation, there are still ways for us to come together. To work and enjoy each other's company. To strengthen our businesses. To be strong leaders and to help one another.

Meloney Perry is the founding partner of the Dallas office of Perry Law P.C. She is the immediate past chair of the State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Section. Her practice focuses on insurance coverage, bad-faith and class action litigation in multiple jurisdictions including Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. For more information about the firm, visit www.mperrylaw.com.