You're struggling to lead your team through a crisis. How can you turn things around?

Be honest, but be optimistic. If you've lost your optimism, how can you expect the team to retain it? One of the best predictors of a successful founder is the ability to have or generate alternative plans. If plan A didn't work, then, well, there's the rest of the alphabet to try out.

I found it best to have a team collaborative meeting or brainstorming session. Use this venue to establish open dialog on current state of affairs and the issue at hand. Then get the whole team involved in thinking through the problem. Very often times someone on the team has gone through a similar circumstance and can provide some valuable insights that can help create the solution or way forward. (FYI I often use the 6 thinking hats to guide these types of meetings by Edward De Bono)

Share a story where acknowledging a tough reality led to a positive change in direction. For example, a team facing financial challenges admitted their situation openly, which helped them rally together to find innovative solutions.

> Take a step back, assess the situation clearly, and prioritize what needs tackling first. > Communicate this plan to your team for a unified approach. > Be honest and transparent with your team. > Acknowledge their concerns and show compassion. > Regular updates and open channels for questions will foster trust. > Don't be afraid to delegate tasks and leverage your team's strengths. > Collaborative brainstorming can spark innovative solutions, and empowering your team boosts morale.

In a crisis, transparent communication is key. Acknowledge challenges, outline a clear plan, and solicit team input. Foster a collaborative environment, emphasizing shared goals. Prioritize tasks, ensuring the team focuses on critical aspects. Provide emotional support, encouraging resilience. Seek external advice if necessary. Lead by example, demonstrating adaptability. Regularly reassess and adjust strategies as the situation evolves, instilling confidence and unity within the team.

Highlight a situation where focusing on the core aspects of a problem helped a team overcome a crisis. For instance, a company facing a product recall focused on customer safety and product quality, which ultimately strengthened their brand reputation.

Start with a clear plan by including all stakeholders that knows about the problem or that knows the customers. Bring team members from sales, implementation, support and development into a single open communication session (not the time to pint fingers). Once the plan is set; open, honest and clear comms are needed from all involved on progress made or challenges that are faced

Narrate an experience where empowering team members led to remarkable outcomes. For instance, a leader gave their team the authority to make critical decisions during a crisis, leading to faster problem-solving and increased team morale.

When we recruit for a specific role, we should find people with more skills, experience and qualifications. But when crisis happens, many founders then wants to control the narrative... True growth happens when we empower these team members to make decisions and take action. If mistakes were made, learn from it but also celebrate and acknowledge what worked.

Share a story where learning from a crisis led to significant improvements. For example, a startup that faced a security breach used the experience to implement robust security measures, making their system more resilient.

Provide an example of how seeking help and support can make a difference. For instance, a leader who sought advice from industry experts during a crisis gained valuable insights that helped them navigate through challenging times.

Share a story where maintaining a positive attitude helped overcome adversity. For example, a team facing a project setback remained optimistic, which boosted morale and motivated them to find creative solutions.

As an Entrepreneur or when you are involved in a startup, staying positive is your number one priority. Be mentally prepared to make decisions, explore alternatives and put in extra effort 999 times! It is going to happen, it is just a matter of time.

This is what I tell founders whose Team can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I simply remind them to: Be Human, Be Realistic, Be Optimistic, Be True! Be a Leader!

Conclude with a reflection on the importance of resilience and adaptability in leadership, citing examples from history or contemporary business where these qualities have been crucial in overcoming crises.