LEADERSHIP IN CRISIS

By Artur Smejlis

What is the difference between a good leader and an exceptional leader? In a nutshell, a good leader will be able to lead a team in normal circumstances when all have their own place and work well. As you may guess, it would be applicable to the majority of leaders. On the other hand, a great leader can lead a team where many others cannot. A truly greater leader can lead the team in crisis. Absolutely, it is not easy and certainly requires specific leadership skills and capabilities.

Leonidas at Thermopile led 300 Spartans against thousands of Persians. Under his leadership, a relatively small military unit challenged an entire army. They played on their strengths, they showed unique courage and they did heroic acts. 

Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s first female Prime Minister who faced political instability and a global recession. She managed two military conflicts, the 1982 Falklands war and the Northern Ireland conflict. She led the British Nation through an incredibly difficult time. 

Below, you can find a few tips for effective leadership amidst crisis.  

• Lead - Engage with your team, show courage and lead by example. All people watch you during a crisis and they are ready to follow your leadership.
• Focus on what you can control - You cannot stop a crisis or make it disappear. What you can control are your emotions, your actions and the way you behave during it. You can focus on your performance and the performance of your team. 
• Keep a high morale - During a crisis, your team needs you the most. Connect with each individual and with the whole team. Support each individual and thereby the team. Help the team to manage frustrations and celebrate even the small successes. 
• Over-communicate - Communication is critical during crisis management. Make yourself available for all of your team members. Explain what is happening and why it is this way. What is the key responsibility that each team member needs to do. Listen to people and answer all of their questions.
• Empower people - Crises forge new leaders. Empower people to make decisions and lead in their roles. Each emergency situation requires decisions. Any decision is better than no decision. And decisions are taken by empowered people, leaders.
• Be flexible - What was important yesterday may not be a top priority today. All of the time, circumstances will be changing every day or every hour. You need to be alert at all times and be ready to react immediately.

Reflect on the above and identify your strengths and areas of improvement. Below, there are five questions which will help you to reflect on this. 

1. Have you led a team during an emergency situation?
2. When facing a crisis, do you panic or stay calm?
3. Are you a resilient person?
4. Can you stay focused under stress or time pressure?
5. When in crisis, do people contact you and ask for your advice or for direction?

If you need some help, connect with somebody who can coach you on leadership in crisis. 

May the leadership be with you!