Leadership During Crises

Even under heaps of pressure and under the weight of mounting responsibilities, sound leadership means being able to understand, control and regulate your emotions.

Remaining calm and calculated instead of constantly shooting from the hip is actually a skill you can practice and master. As a leader your actions and your speech have a far ranging impact. Setting your organisation's tone and culture starts right at the top.

Having worked across the public sector for over a decade I’ve met my fair share of self-acclaimed leadership gurus who often fall short of what they preach. Fiddling with your mobile phone in a boardroom whilst someone is presenting or pitching, maybe even the most important presentation in their life, doesn't exactly scream great leadership. Genuinely enquiring about and engaging your employees instead of simply walking past them is another easy and often looked over attribute. These are but a few examples that I have witnessed and experienced – at best dismissive but at times just plain rude attitude from the people charged with supporting and nurturing their staff. 

The greater a position a member of staff holds, the greater impact their behaviour will have on the institution and thus the greater scrutiny they will face, and rightly so. Thus it goes without saying that the unadulterated testimonies of your fellow colleagues are a crucial yardstick to measure the impact of your behaviour and the culture which you engender at your workplace. Remember, what you don’t say is sometimes just as, if not more powerful than what you do say. Likewise the tone of your voice, non-verbal cues, body language and so on all have lasting reverberations on the people around you. Never underestimate the power of observation, your staff see a lot more than you think they might, so the next time you walk out of a board meeting without an explanation or hang the phone up on somebody you’re arguing on the phone with, know that you are setting the behaviour standards for your work.

The biggest challenges leaders face are more often than not those not anticipated. These are trying times for us all and with crises come opportunities. Disruptive times call for transformational leaders to embrace new normals, pivot quickly, embrace agility and delegate authority to work effectively and efficiently. With all the attention on remaining productive (and profitable) in light of COVID-19, very little focus has been paid to the emotional dimensions that crises force us to address.

As the Interim CEO stepping into an organisation experiencing it’s greatest leadership challenges, I know all too well the rollercoaster of emotions that accompany periods of transition and the onerous burden of carrying the emotional load of your staff. Being a leader in these times means steering your organisation through a fog of uncertainty and this is when the values, behaviours and culture that you have embedded by your leadership will be tested.

I’m reminded of this powerful quote from Mahatma Ghandi, who once said: “I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.”

In tough times we must embrace our highest values, not abandon them. How we cope under pressure and communicate our own struggles and uncertainties will trickle down across your organisation. You must push yourself to be fully present with the person you are engaging with, it’s not difficult to do but it’s also not something you can fake. Likewise being honest, open, available and being prepared to genuinely listen, all contribute to building authenticity and an organic sense of respect – simple yet profound. 

So, whether your challenge is responding to an organisational crisis or dealing with the impact the global pandemic has had on your work, it’s up to you as a leader to recognise what’s at stake and respond appropriately. Pressure makes diamonds, as they say, and now is the time to shine. Solutions to the challenges you face may be less than straightforward but by driving your team from the trenches and leading them on a shared journey, bound by purpose, can steer your organisation towards successes far beyond targets and indicators. 

Great leadership understands that the more senior your role, the more heavier is your responsibility to serve and the best leaders are those who are able to humble themselves and put their staff and their needs above their own.

Harris Iqbal, Interim CEO, Penny Appeal