In a crisis? This will mark you out for leadership.

Picture this: you’re a passenger in a packed plane of tourists. In mid flight, a hot flume of volcanic ash splatters the windshield and cuts out all four engines. With your headset on and thoughts of the beach, you are not aware of impending disaster until…it goes eerily quiet as the humming of the engines stop. The captain comes onto the PA and in a deadpan voice explains the engines have cut out. You don’t panic because - strange as it might sound - he sounds remarkably unphased. Bored, even. Everyone sits quietly in tense anticipation, searching faces for signs of anxiety. You look out of the window for a sign.

As the plane drifts downwards, this pilot knows that bringing alarm to the situation will not help. In fact, it could significantly contribute to a negative outcome. He needs his crew to do what they’re trained for. He needs passengers to stay seated but be prepared. Above all, he needs to believe that everyone can come out of this alive. He needs all of them to believe it too. His calmness is contagious. They can hear his confidence and his experience. They trust him.

All of this from the tone of his voice. True story. Watch it here.

Now imagine a work scenario. A new product launch has hit a snag due to a backlog of a consumable essential for the lab workflow. Production has stopped whilst product teams figure it out. Customers’ satisfaction rides on this small product. It will affect patients, your company reputation, your colleagues who have to face angry procurement officials and desperate lab managers. Stocks are limited. Now add in the stressed VP commercial who jumps up and down publicly remonstrating the head of product development and the district managers about the terrible situation. Why wasn’t there supply chain controls in place? Why did you promise your customer this delivery date when we don’t have it in stock? Panic, panic. Everyone is flustered, blaming each other. The application science team get the full flack from customers and pass it to the reps who pass the buck to regional marketing, who in turn call product development. A swirl of emails, meetings, chaos.

OK, what if there’s another way? An internal communication plan and a proper process in place to appropriately allocate the remaining stock to customers, whilst keeping all reps and field scientists updated on a daily basis as the problem is resolved so they can communicate the situation as it unfolds, without over-promising and using hope as a strategy. Seeing this obvious solution and working with all functions to put it in place, all the while gathering input and suggestions from people who are able see the problem from different angles.

This is the leader you need to be. The person with that special calm wisdom to step back, see the landscape, gather the critical point-people who can be trusted to see through their part of the crisis; the person who facilitates calmly as they work together as a team, communicating through a defined cascade that delivers appropriate messages with integrity and calm efficiency. Your energy engenders trust and faith in others and above all, the belief that all will be well. People respond accordingly.

If you don’t have the title of leader/team manager? Lead from where you are. Show another way. These situations don’t require heroes and are made ten times worse by finger-pointing. They require calm leadership and that can come from anywhere.

It all starts with your mindset. Your intention, how you move your body, the words you use. If you feel panic, then a stroll around the building and some deep breaths are maybe what you need before you enter the team call. Or plug in your headphones and listen to music that enables you to let out fear and let in confidence. Just close the door, listen and move. Bring it into your body and see how differently your words follow.

Body, language, intention. Critical elements to bringing calm wisdom in a storm.

You can be that leader, anytime you want.