Now is the time however, that for many, returning to work will be The coronavirus pandemic is the challenge of our a process that could take a year or more, and that times. The time for organizations to build for speed they cannot go back to the way they were. is now. This will be a long process and leaders must leap into the arena and recognize that many of Instead, companies will want to seize the moment their familiar organization constructs will need to to reimagine and reinvent the future, building new be reimagined. muscle and capabilities to come back strong. Even well-run companies may find that they need to Many companies, at least initially, thought of the reinvent themselves more than once. postpandemic return as an event; they would turn the lights on and go back to work just as they Fortune will favor the bold—and the speedy. has done before. It is becoming increasingly clear, Aaron De Smet is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Houston office; Daniel Pacthod is a senior partner in the New York office, where Charlotte Relyea is a senior partner; and Bob Sternfels is a senior partner in the San Francisco office. The authors wish to thank Elizabeth Mygatt for her contributions to this article. Copyright © 2020 McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved. 28 What now? Ten actions to emerge stronger in the next normal September 2020