Leading Through Crisis
Leading through a crisis presents its fair share of challenges. Whether you are the leader of an organization, team, or your family, you must adopt a unique set of skills and behaviors to lead effectively. Some of the most common issues that you may experience include operational challenges, unmotivated team members, and supply chain problems.
Approaches and Behaviors to Successfully Lead in Crisis
1. Quick Decision Making
In times of crisis, speed is more important than precision. The situation is unpredictable, and things change by the hour. As a leader, you must always be able to determine what is essential. Even though anxiety and emotions may run high, you should be able to make a decision even with minimal information. Define your priorities and pay attention to them when making decisions.
2. Composure
During a crisis, your team members are likely to be overwhelmed with stress. It is the responsibility of leaders to remain brave and composed. Even though it is normal to be scared, putting on a brave face will encourage your team to stay strong. Maintain a positive and pleasant attitude until the end of the crisis.
3. Accountability
A successful leader must remain accountable in times of crisis. You can demonstrate accountability through your actions – lead by example. Set the pace for leadership and performance excellence. Take responsibility, and encourages your team members to own up to their responsibilities.
4. Empathy
Remain empathetic throughout the process. Even though you should encourage productivity, understand that your employees may be going through a rough time, and listen to them. Develop a mantra encouraging them to do their best regardless of the circumstances.
5. Proper Communication
Communicate with your team members regularly and effectively. Come up with clear communication platforms and use them well. Let your team members know what you know. If you don’t have sufficient information, you may promise to get back to them later. The goal should be to build credibility and maintain constant communication.
6. Resilient
Lastly, you must be resilient. Do this by reframing a negative situation into a positive solution. Be accepting of the change. Nobody likes changes. They can be uncomfortable and unnerving, but you have to allow for the discomfort and do your best to embrace it. Resilient leaders are continuously learning. We are human, which means we’ll not have all the answers. Gaining a new perspective and gaining new understandings are important, and even more critical is being able to apply what you learn during times of change.
