Leadership Essentials in the Time of a Crisis

The Coronavirus Pandemic continues to put much of our lives on hold. What lies ahead is uncertain. We live from day to day, thinking about what might happen next. Lockdowns and social distancing are disrupting our economy.

Leaders are going through a wringer since they are facing impossible dilemmas. Forced by circumstance to suspend their businesses, employees are in limbo about their careers and financial futures. It won't be business as usual for many companies even after the crisis. Companies are likely to terminate employees, cut spending, downsize, and limit operations to survive or cut their losses.

Authentic leadership is so valuable these days, because we crave the reassurance that comes from seeing that our leaders are human, just like us. However being authentic can put leaders to the ultimate test. How can leaders build their teams and keep their morale afloat amid the pandemic? How can they be dependable pillars of stability during these uncertain times? How and what should they communicate to their subordinates in their difficult moment?

Aside from financial compensation, leaders ought to look beyond the tactical and see the other needs of their teams. While it is not possible for all organizations to continue payroll during the stoppage, leaders can offer support in many different ways. After all, we don't measure life just in dimes and dollars.

Patrick Lencioni writes, “The only way for a leader to create a safe environment for his team members to be vulnerable is by stepping up and doing something that feels unsafe and uncomfortable first. By getting naked before anyone else, by taking the risk of making himself vulnerable with no guarantee that other members of the team will respond in kind, a leader demonstrates an extraordinary level of selflessness and dedication to the team. And that gives him the right, and the confidence, to ask others to do the same.”

This is not the time to stand aloof behind your virtual Zoom screen. Be vulnerable and let your team know how the crisis is affecting you and the ones you love. Lay down the cards, and tell them the real score. This is not a pity party. It’s confronting the brutal facts and possible consequences based on our present reality.

By being vulnerable, creates the possibility for genuine empathy. You put yourself in the same boat with your team. You demonstrate that you authentically feel pain and hardship, not unlike what your people go through. You show in your actions that you understand their concerns. Thanks to your example, your team members recognize that they are not alone.

It doesn’t end in vulnerability. Spilling the beans doesn’t solve anything. Admitting our weaknesses is only a step towards you bigger game: creating a common ground where everyone can rally together and find another gear.

Great leaders level with their subordinates to clear the air between them, allay their fears, forge a bond and to recommit to their bigger game - Their mission, their vision, their big hairy audacious goal (BHAG). Vulnerability is a major step, but it’s never an end to itself.

Your team need not disintegrate with this crisis. In fact, this crisis is your greatest opportunity. This is your chance to not only endure with your team, but to redesign the game, and of course to eventually win together. Once you have forged that bond with the team, and not a minute sooner, you may proceed to take other steps in managing the crisis.

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE:

Start having difficult conversations. Discussing uncertainties, possible layoffs, salary cuts, terminated contracts, and downsizing are just among the many topics your team should address. There's no other way out of the crisis, but through. By being honest and transparent with your team, you help them prepare for any eventuality.

Communicate with clarity regularly. Don’t ever cut your communication lines with your team during the lockdown. Update them with the situation of the company. Don’t leave out important facts. Tell them everything they need to know.

Adapt and innovate. How can your team leverage working remotely? Is it possible to restructure their employment contracts? Can they be assigned to temporary roles that are adaptable to the current situation? What are the opportunities for innovation that you have not acknowledged yet? Brainstorm options and alternatives with your team. You might be surprised with what you uncover.

Be an inspiring influence. Maya Angelou is credited with saying; "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Inspire calmness, confidence and innovation.

References:

• Covid-19: What makes a good leader during a crisis?
• Leadership in a crisis: Responding to the coronavirus outbreak and future challenges
• Real Leaders Are Forged in Crisis
• Patrick Lencioni, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business