The C Word(s)

During times of crisis, as we do our best to keep “everything” (and I mean, everything) on an even keel; for some of us, this is quite possibly the most difficult leadership period we have or may ever have to face.

Many of you reading, especially those who have had prior experience leading through times of global turmoil (or any turmoil), will already know the power of many of the C words I call out in this article. It is reasonable to expect however, that some of you may never have had exposure to leading through tough times. And, although I am sure that even the most seasoned of leaders can still find something to take away from this short read, it is to the latter audience that I direct my reflection.

We are in a world that has changed dramatically, pretty well overnight. Today we face a battle that is so much more complex than most of us even know. Our people are confused. Some are cranky and others are concerned. To the stimulus that is Covid-19, many of our people are responding by becoming combative, confounded, and some increasingly cynical. There are those among us who feel clueless, feel that everything is just too complicated.

We wonder… When. Will. This. End?

No matter your industry, and especially during times of crisis, one of the main roles a leader must play is to assuage the fears and concerns of our teams, by offering our wisdom, our guidance, our experience and ourselves.

Viktor E Frankl is often misquoted as having written that, “between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom”.

Whether misquoted or not, the sentiment that we all have the power to choose our response really resonates with me, and as leaders we must be mindful that our choices can and do have profound impacts on those whom we choose to lead.

Leadership is a privilege and leadership is a choice. But once you have decided to accept the responsibility that comes with leadership, people are going to demand that you stand out in front of them and be the very best leader you can possibly be. In good times, you may feel well equipped to do just that.

But what about in times of turmoil? What about now?

Enter the C word(s):

I’ve chosen to focus on C words because we're hearing so much of them right now. Every day our news is littered with them; Coronavirus, Covid-19, flattening the curve. I'm sure many of us have had just about enough of the C words in recent months. Before we move onto other letters, let's explore some leadership C word essentials.

While it’s fair to say it should always be the case, no more so than during times of crisis do great leaders find ways to instil a sense of calm among their troops. Among all the calamity, your confidence, your clarity of communication and your candour are all critical ingredients that make up the recipe for calm.

You might want to ask yourself if you have all these ingredients in your own cupboard. If not, best duck down the shops... while you still can.

Great leaders are also consistent. For your message to be believed and followed, displaying behaviours that are consistent with your language, and with your own usual behaviours, will result in your team feeling confident that “you’ve got this”. That you can lead them through this crisis. Where erratic, indecisive and inconsistent language and behaviour exists, it's then that people tend to worry that maybe they're not in capable hands.

Leadership requires courage. Leadership requires commitment. It’s no mean feat to stand out in front of a crowd and say, “follow me, this is the way”. Having made that choice, to stand up and lead your people through crisis, you must be committed to seeing it through. Along the way you will be thrown curve balls (e.g. everyone now working from home), and the really good leaders out there will be flexible and able to adapt. Importantly, they will also be sensitive to individual circumstances.

In addition to the health-related concerns of Covid-19, many people are also having to deal with rapidly changing personal circumstances. Working from home, quarantine or self-isolation, and some with the added complexity of home schooling their children for the first time(!). These are delicate waters for leaders to navigate, and no two persons circumstances will be the same. You may find you need to compromise. One cap isn't going to fit all.

These are difficult times no doubt. And in these difficult times, great leaders’ emotional intelligence also rises to the fore. They can flip the empathy switch with conviction, and they show genuine compassion and care. Sadly sometimes misconstrued as weakness, in my experience the best leaders regularly and authentically demonstrate how much they care.

There are many more C words I could list which continue to describe the characteristics or tactics that I believe leaders should possess, hone, encourage or employ. Collaboration and creativity for example - two more wonderful adjectives we’ve seen so many examples of in recent times.

Gin distillers making hand sanitiser, and now face masks for the deaf... so creative, so thoughtful.

I’ll end it here though, with one last C word: community.

No more than in the middle of a crisis is it more important for people to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of community.

Even the knowledge that you’re not the only one having to go through this dilemma, can be enough to serve as reassurance. A hashtag I’ve seen doing the rounds in recent days sums this sense of community up nicely, and leaders should be promoting this in spades. Though physically disconnected for the foreseeable future, at least with the incredible tech available to us that facilitates virtual connection, we are all still very much #bettertogether

So there you have it. My go-to C words for leaders in times of crisis. If you have any more C words, or indeed any other words of wisdom to add, please feel free to add them in the comments.

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