How to lead during a crisis

So, we are in a crisis. It is not the first one, nor is it the last. But it is weighing heavy on our minds and hearts right now. Every media outlet is providing bad news in real-time. Headlines of death counts and city shutdowns make it seem as if we are in a war.

What are you supposed to believe about the future? How to act when you can't see very far ahead? What can you actually do?

For one, you can start with what you can control. Spend time assessing the crucial conditions that affects you. Find out how the situation truly affects your business. Be aware, that when everything looks dark, everyone cries with the wolves. When all the arrows are pointing downwards, many get the general feeling that everything is over. That they will always point downwards. The same thing applies in good times. Then everyone thinks the sky is the limit.

It's easy to get caught up in a feeling of hopelessness. If you lead a business, your attitude toward events around the world will affect your leadership. It is of course human, that even as a manager you are gripped by concerns about the future and may even begin to express yourself negatively as a result. But beware: this is not what your co-workers need right now.

Don't ignore threats and risks, but don't exaggerate them either. Find out what things really look like and act accordingly. To be a leader in times of success is grateful, fun, inspiring. Most leaders manage that without any problem at all. But to lead in adversity is something entirely different. This is where the true leaders step up.  

The worst thing that can affect an organization and its leaders, is getting stuck in passivity. To sit down and wait for things to clarify, hoping the problems will resolve themselves. Sometimes they do, but it's hardly something you want to invest in. Although we cannot influence much of what is happening around us right now, we can continue to keep moving. We have to, because passivity provides too much time and space for people to worry and produce negative speculation of various kinds. You lead by example, by not letting your own worries of the world negatively affect the operations of your organization or the communication within it.

The natural remedy for passivity is activity. Make sure everyone continues to carry out their assignments and responsibilities. Adjustments based on your operations adapted to the current market situation are self-evident. It is the slowdown of your co-workers that you have to be wary of. This can be a death trap for the entire business.

Your role as a leader is to continue to lead, to ensure that everyone continues to contribute, to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. To succeed, you probably need to dedicate more time to leadership right now. You need to be more visible than ever and make your presence felt. You need to move around in the organization. Put your smartphone away and physically go out among your co-workers. Show now, more than ever, that you are available. That you listen. That you care. But also show that you expect everyone to continue the path you have set. If you have changed the organization’s actions, make sure that this is really followed.

Invest time in following up on assignments, conversations and meetings. Give feedback. Pay attention to the value of positive feedback. Everyone needs to hear it in times of worry. But above all else, be there for them.

How to deal with this besides everything else you have to do? As I mentioned before – true leaders reveal themselves during a crisis. You may have some tough months ahead of you, but the organization will thank you when you make it to the other side of this.

Be there for them.