How to Lead Through a Crisis

COVID-19 has disrupted our lives in unimaginable ways. And rather than rehash what you already know about social distancing, working remotely and the economic impact of this pandemic, let’s focus on leadership … namely crisis management.

Leadership matters most during watershed moments — thoughtful, forward-thinking leadership. Employees look to those at the helm of the ship to guide them through rough waters with confidence and poise.

Fix Your Poker Face

So, one of the most important things CEOs can do in a crisis is remain calm, even as uncertainty swirls about. At a pivotal moment in history, former President George W. Bush flawlessly displayed how to stay even-keeled in a crisis. On 9/11, he was visiting schoolchildren in Florida when he received news of the terrorist attack — but he barely flinched.

“By not outwardly reacting, [Bush] bought himself space to think and time to react,” London-based crisis consultant Tim Johnson wrote in Crisis Leadership: How to Lead in Times of Crisis, Threat and Uncertainty.

President Abraham Lincoln also expertly kept his emotions in check when the Union was on the verge of collapse, wrote Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn in Forged in Crisis. Lincoln “discovered the power of mastering his emotions in a specific situation carefully enough to take no immediate action or, in some instances, to do nothing at all,” Koehn said.

Turn to Your Crisis Playbook

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is to be prepared for the unexpected. That means having a crisis playbook ready to deploy at crunch time, rather than developing a plan mid-emergency.

“Most organizations and high-profile individuals are working from yesterday's playbook,” said James Haggerty, author of Chief Crisis Officer: Structure and Leadership for Effective Communications Response. “If you look at any crisis with ‘staying power,’ they all have one thing in common. The organization or individual in question couldn't get their act together quickly enough to respond. That fumbled response is like gasoline poured on the reputational fire,” Haggerty said.

H-E-B, the San Antonio-based supermarket chain, responded to COVID-19 like the seasoned pros they are. The company has had a pandemic plan in place since 2005, when bird flu was a threat in China. “That’s when we first developed what our plan looked like, [as well as] some of our requirements and business implications,” Justen Noakes, the company’s director of emergency preparedness, told Texas Monthly. “In 2009, we actually used that plan in response to H1N1, when the swine flu came to fruition in Cibolo, and refined it. We’ve continued to revise it, and it’s been a part of our preparedness plan at H-E-B ever since,” Noakes said. 

Create a Culture of Unity, Support and Transparency

Crisis, especially one as large as COVID-19, affects everyone in unique ways. It may bring out the best in some employees while others may respond completely differently. The impetus, then, is on managers to lead by example and build a culture of unity and support in the workplace. Employees need to believe that the company has their back, that their contributions matter and that everyone is working together for a common goal.

Transparency is also crucial. According to an American Psychological Association study, 21 percent of employees said they do not trust their employer. However, workers said they trust the company more when the organization recognizes employees for their contributions, provides opportunities for involvement and communicates effectively.

So, to help ease anxiety in the workplace during a crisis, keep employees in the loop, share the good and the bad (without oversharing), and ask for honest feedback from your workers, experts at Bamboo HR said. What you get from employees in return is priceless — their trust and loyalty.

Crisis is inevitable, but if you play your cards right, you may be able to walk away with only a few war wounds.  After all, as FDR said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

Jeff Chaponick is CEO of MAC Diversity Recruiters, an international search firm that partners with companies of all sizes, including companies such as Deloitte, Nike, and Marsh & McLennan, to help them reach their diversity talent goals. Jeff is on the Board of Directors for the Texas Diversity Council and the National Diversity Council. He is also a member of various professional organizations that help address the disparities in hiring among traditionally underrepresented groups.