Distill the spirit of crisis leadership to serve up more heart, greater empathy

Photo credit: Matt Hoffman on Unsplash

Earlier today, I texted a friend to check-in.

"How are you?" I typed. "What are you doing to stay busy and sane?"

She replied with a picture of a vodka bottle. My laugh-cry emoji - omnipresent these days - soon followed.

It's hard to believe this is Week Three. While my calendar says it's Saturday evening, it could be Sunday morning or Thursday night, for all my pajamas know. It could be April 4th or the 32nd of Neveruary.

In the U.S., alcohol sales saw a 55 percent spike for the week ending March 21, according to Nielsen data. I'm certainly doing my part to keep my favorite wine club (McBride Sisters for the win) and other wine and spirit companies open for business.

While it's sobering (no pun intended) to see that jump in sales, it's not surprising. I don't have to go beyond one degree to feel the massive, life-altering impact the novel coronavirus has had on one of my dearest friends and his family. Another friend and former colleague ended up sedated in ICU, as heroic medical professionals worked to give her body a fighting chance against COVID-19. Her only son continues to ask for specific prayers for her lung capacity. I can go on about the people in my circle who are directly and painfully impacted by this pandemic and if I go a few degrees out, that number grows and the losses mount.

No wonder people are reaching for liquid courage and sippable comfort. I get it.

Then I thought about how crisis leadership is essentially a process of distillation, not unlike the steps required to make the bottles of escapism so many of us seek during these surreal and frighteningly uncertain times.

The story of distillation is a delicate one, broken up into three distinct acts. The initial and final steps of this chemical process result in the "head" and the "tail". They are necessary, but mostly from the standpoint that they must be measured, kept in check and often discarded because of the way they smell and taste. The "heart", which is what remains after removing the head and tail, is the part of the distillation that is meant to be enjoyed. It is the ultimate goal. The why behind the what.

A crisis serves a similar function. It strips away who we say we are. Under the heat and pressure, our facades evaporate until all that is left is who we really are. Unpalatable options must be considered and, in many cases, hard decisions will be made as leaders figure out the way forward. Supply chains, technology and other matters related to financial and operational health are critical to resilience and continuity of businesses and our local, domestic and global economies. But what good is any of that if we don't first and foremost take care of employees and the communities we serve?

Leaders can choose a scarcity mindset and look out for themselves to achieve short-term gains. But I believe most people are mostly good and that most people will ultimately choose greater.

We will choose small (and large) acts of kindness.

We will choose - and, I believe, demand - empathy and heartful leadership.

We will choose each other and, in doing so, save ourselves. I'll drink to that.

Disclaimer: I believe you can enjoy life and still practice moderation. I also believe that includes the responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages. I don't support excessive drinking, binge drinking, drinking and driving, underage drinking or any other harmful behavior that involves alcohol. Be kind. Make good choices. Don't be a jerk. Act (and drink) responsibly and take care of yourselves and each other. We'll stand a much greater chance of getting through this insane time together.