4 Things True Leaders Do in a Crisis
Leadership during times of crisis is challenging. As leaders, these are unfortunately the times we train for the least. By focusing on four basics – communications, planning, decision-making and preparing for the long-haul – leaders can help their teams navigate the complexities of a crisis.
Communicate.
One of the biggest problems early on in a crisis is the lack of information, or really, the abundancy of misinformation. People need a reliable source to find out what is happening, who is being impacted and what is being done about it.
In times of crisis, people appreciate transparency the most. The best thing a leader can do during a crisis is to make sure that accurate information is flowing through the enterprise by any means possible.
Authentic and detailed communication is key. And it needs to reach your audience. If email is down, use the phone system to broadcast messages. If phones are down too, use your corporate intranet. Post signs in the lobby. Send team members out to other departments to deliver information. Create a war room. The critical message early in a crisis is we are aware, we are working on a solution and we are reaching out to needed resources for help.
Have a plan and be ready to alter it.
Successful companies create Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plans. If your company does not have these, or has not updated them in many years, start working on it now. You never know when you will need it.
Having a plan means that you can effectively delegate. It’s not just the, “we will get through this” statement, it’s the how we will get through this. If your captains know where you are headed and how you plan to get there because you have clearly communicated the action plan, you can then confidently delegate portions of the effort to them. Having clear communication with team leaders also enables you to shift the plan as new information becomes available.
Make decisions based on information + your gut.
During a crisis you simply will not have all the information available to you. Instead, leverage your past experiences to better understand the information you do have.
My son loves to sail. He races small, one-person sailboats against other kids. While learning to sail, he discovered a situation called “in irons”. When sailing “in irons” your boat is pointed directly into the wind so that the wind exerts equal pressure to both sides of your sail. The sail ceases to move the boat forward and the boat coasts to a halt. Your race is over unless you can get moving.
Similarly, organizations in crisis can end up in “decision irons”. Making big decisions without having all the information is too frightening, so instead leaders make the habit of addressing the little, non-critical path issues to keep the organization in stasis while waiting for information. For organizations in crisis, to move forward you must use the information you have and make decisions with conviction. This can feel very uncomfortable, especially if you are a data-driven organization, but in times of crisis, movement is everything. You can then course-correct as you go.
Remember that it is a marathon, not a sprint.
A client of ours was hit with a major cyber event in 2018. In 2020, they are still talking about “recovery” items. Changes to systems, policies and procedures, even team skills can take significant time. In 2020 we are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. For a crisis like this there will be an immediate recovery period – the effort to get the health of society somewhat stable and then to get the economy restarted. Then there will be the longer recovery effort that will take years – changes to policies and procedures around critical health infrastructure and supply chain; manufacturing in other countries will be re-examined and our whole global economy will be re-assessed.
As a leader, the best thing you can do is to help your organization realize that recovery is not a “won and done” type of activity. Instead, it entails long-haul efforts that will make your organization more resilient to the next crisis and leave you better prepared.
Written by:
ANN TOFOLO
With over 20 years of experience leading organizations through transformations, Ann helps Excelerate’s clients to navigate the complexities of modern business and considers herself a connoisseur of fine breakfasts.