Successful Leadership – When leading through a crisis, most leaders are forced to think and behave in ways that feel unfamiliar. Whether it’s a financial economical, technological or natural crisis, it demands that leaders take an emergency crises response plan and adapt it as new evidence and factors present themselves.
During the crisis, the goal of an organization or its leaders is to reduce the maximum loss and to keep operational processes as normal as possible. Especially, like during the current times as we have the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations of actions to respond effectively throughout a crisis are:
Seek credible information for successful leadership.
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to determine the most reliable, up-to-date information from trustworthy news sources. Avoid getting information only from social media, and be wary of any news organizations that have a political, financial, or activist agenda. Their information may be biased and, to varying degrees, inaccurate.
When leading through a crisis such as COVID-19, leaders shall contact local health organizations or public information centers, providing most accurate information supporting you on how to prepare and take actions accordingly.
For successful leadership in crisis, use appropriate communication channels.
Once essential information is gathered, it should be disseminated to the entire organization by every means possible. Transparency is key when leading through a crisis. Information is the oil that greases an organization and keeps it running smoothly.
Information is powerful because it reduces emotional distress caused by the unknown, diminishes fear, provides tactical guidance, and demonstrates to employees that their leaders are concerned, involved, knowledgeable, and on top of the situation.
How to communicate? Face-to-face first, whether in person or through virtual channels. With a plethora of tools for hosting and personalizing virtual meetings, quarantines don’t have to stand in the way of your group coming together face-to-face. Key information should be handled with the 3 R’s: REVIEW – REPEAT AND REINFORCE.
If information is shared only once, it cannot be assumed everyone has received it – if they did, that they understand it. Repeating and reinforcing information on a daily basis and via multiple delivery methods helps it to sink in and be retained.
Explain what your organization is doing about the crisis.
During a crisis, time is compressed. The initial onset of a crisis presents immense pressure to act — and act quickly. Sometimes you have to begin tackling a problem before you have a solid grasp of what’s happening. If you are in charge, take charge. Be proactive; take initiative and don’t let all be handled just by the team.
Do something even if it might be wrong; paralysis or overanalyzing is riskier. As you make decisions and take action when leading through a crisis, communicate those actions truthfully and with honesty.
With the coronavirus, you might choose to reduce air travel, ask more people to work from home, place hand sanitizer in strategic places within the facilities, encourage those with the sniffles or a cough to stay home, and frequently clean high-trafficked areas or objects and surfaces. As your response changes, keep employees updated with the 3 Rs.
Remember that everyone observing or living through a crisis views it through a unique lens. For example, a paramedic will understand only that a hospital is overloaded; a hospital administrator will only know that the generator isn’t working. Keep in mind that no one will have a complete, accurate picture of what’s going on.
Successful Leadership > Be present, visible, and available.
During a crisis, leaders should be accessible. Because it’s not always possible to walk around your facility and talk to colleagues in person, let employees know how they can best reach you with status updates and questions. Particularly during a crisis, employees have a need to hear from their leaders frequently.
When leaders appear calm, concerned, knowledgeable, and in charge, workers feel encouraged and are more likely to have confidence that things are under control and will be fine. Understand that organizational protocol needs to account for flexible leadership ranks during an emergency. Whoever is in charge is whoever is there.
An entire operation cannot be hamstrung because bureaucracy didn’t account for a key player being unavailable when an emergency struck.
Dedicate organizational resources for future crises.
As any crisis transitions from its urgent phase, the time pressure will ease, as will the need for split-second decisions. At that point, the plan must evolve into a more complex system that looks at recovery and getting things back to normal — whatever the new normal looks like.
If a similar emergency unfolds in the future, will you be prepared? All leaders will admit that crisis planning — for example, having a Crisis Action Plan and setting aside resources for a crisis — are important. But experience shows that key resources are seldom placed in reserve for contingencies. And if they are, they’re usually inadequate.
While improvisation cannot be planned, thinking and team-building exercises can be built into a training program that
prepares everyone for a similar, future crisis.
Successful Leadership means – Relationships Matter During a Crisis
During a crisis, leaders who have built a personal, relational, and cultural foundation can then focus on the immediacy of the moment.
4 Ways to Stay in the Present
FACE YOUR EMOTIONS.
Recognizing and managing the emotions of the situation — others’ as well as your own — can help with individual and group resiliency, getting people to safety, and then back to normal. People with an imbalanced emotional state don’t process well. It is so important to do what – ever you can to reduce the emotional stress on people while “doing the job.”
SHOW RESPECT.
Treat people with sincere consideration and genuine concern. Show it by paying attention, listening, and responding to what people are telling you, as well as considering what is not being said.
MAKE CONNECTIONS.
Draw on a sense of loyalty, courage, morality, or other principles that tie your crisis response to what is important to people.
BE POSITIVE.
A leader’s attitude is contagious. Leaders are dealers in hope. Even in extreme crisis, an upbeat, can-do attitude keeps people going.
Maintaining Perspective When Leading Through a Crisis
During a crisis, leaders are often focused on the emotional turmoil of their direct reports and others in the organization, but it’s equally important for leaders to take care of themselves. A crisis can exert a high impact on human needs, emotions, and behaviors. We may not be conscious of this, but our behaviors send messages to others about our own underlying needs and emotions.
Whatever leadership role you play, you need to be aware of your own
emotional turmoil, its effect on your behavior, and its influence on your leadership abilities. Take these actions to keep the perspective you need to bring your people and your organization through a crisis.
4 Ways to Stay Cool in a Crisis
THINK “TODAY.”
Take the crisis one day at a time.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE.
Avoid negative people, negative thoughts, and negative talk. Constantly think positive thoughts and tell yourself that you can do it.
GET GROUNDED.
Take 5-minute private breaks. Practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing. Don’t neglect spiritual exercises and activities as they fit your individual beliefs.
PRIORITIZE AND FOCUS.
Keep meetings short or “on the hoof,” where everyone stands. Be more assertive. Say “no” more often. Be more conscious about managing your time and priorities. Concentrate on only major issues. Skip secondary tasks.
Finally, remember in times of crisis, successful leadership means seeing the big picture. Concentrate on the greater vision you have of yourself, both personally and professionally. Think about where you will be and what you will be doing a year from now. Stop and realize that you are alive and that much good will come out of the crisis. Stay safe and all the Best!
