What are the top skills that business leaders need to demonstrate in a crisis?

In my last article, I spoke about the single biggest impact you can have in a crisis - which is Integrity! You can read all about it here, in case you missed it.

Now we're upping the stakes, because it's time to talk about the skills that business leaders need to demonstrate in a crisis.

A crisis by its very nature, is supposed to be rare and doesn't come around that often. So when it does happen, it really catches us off guard, and presents us with a couple of challenges:

• Firstly, we really want to avoid having a crisis in the first place, especially if we've done our due diligence and planning properly.
• Secondly - and as everyone who's been through an exercise can tell you - a test never really feels like the real thing. It's all a bit civilised, with a nice air-conditioned room, tea and biscuits (ok, coffee and cookies for the US folks), and there is nothing to get that stressed about, because by the end of the exercise, its business as usual, like nothing really happened.

We rarely get a chance to really think about the leadership skills needed in a crisis, and why they're so important.

It's an important discussion that I've been reflecting on with Lisa Forte , Partner at Red Goat Security, where she trains business executives in crisis simulations. Not only do we need a solid grasp of the threats that the organisation may be facing, but we also need to consider the enormity of the crisis that may unfold, and to what extent. This requires us to be immersed into the situation, to visualise it and feel it, to determine the best course of action. That is seldom going to be achieved in one exercise, and so we need to consider it as a journey, that equips people to deal with a range of scenarios, no matter what is on the horizon.

Back to the question in hand...

What the key skills that business leaders needs to demonstrate in a crisis?

EMPATHY and GRAVITAS

Seriously Sarah, could you have picked something a bit easier?

Well no, you see, when we're selecting which people make the most effective leaders in a crisis, we tend to go by heirarchy, with the most senior people at the helm, but we also need business leaders who can demonstrate these traits too.

Because a true crisis is going to push people to the edge, and well beyond their comfort zone, and if we're going to demonstrate integrity from the outset, we need a good mix of people in our crisis team.

Let me explain...

Empathy

Empathy is about having a deeper appreciation and understanding of how each interaction you have impacts those most affected, whether directly or indirectly. Your words and actions have a lasting effect, whether you realise it or not.

Empathy is much more than just saying and doing the right thing.

It's about having self-awareness and appreciation for how an individual or organisation may be coping with a crisis and how your actions can determine whether people will respond positively or negatively to the situation.

When considering the next course of action, have you taken into the consideration the human impact of that decision?

Every day we hear stories of cyberattacks where millions of records or sensitive data has been breached—the countless people and companies who have fallen foul of theft, fraud, extortion, and espionage.

Yet we treat them with contempt and blame them for not defending themselves better, despite being victims of a crime. Whether the victim is an individual or an organization, if they feel that they will be mistreated, or with contempt for ‘allowing’ an attack to happen, or for not doing more to prevent the impact, they may be less likely to be open and truthful about the circumstances of the incident.

This causes two issues –

• Individuals or organizations are less likely to admit that they have been a victim of an incident or attack, and
• They are more likely to downplay it, even dismissing the gravity of the situation.

The impact of these issues means that the true extent of incidents, and our ability to learn from them, are significantly impacted. In addition, this creates further issues with the requirements for being ‘Believable'.

We forget that these are real people who have been impacted, and these incidents can cause a devastating financial, social, and emotional impact.

Demonstrating Empathy

Empathy means understanding what is happening from the people’s perspective, and is it within your capacity to offer support, guidance, or help?

Being empathetic is not an easy trait. Simply stating you have empathy for someone’s situation is not enough. Being a compassionate leader requires self-awareness and consciously acting in the right way for the right reasons.

‘Empathy’ and ‘Gravitas’ are intrinsically linked, and are powerful attributes to demonstrate leadership in times of crisis.

Empathy for another person and their situation is not just a good thing for the employees in your organization, but it is also essential for the business. Being able to pre-empt and manage the stressors that people may be facing as part of their day-to-day working life and acknowledging when there is a change in the environment or social dynamics of the workplace can help to address and alleviate insider risks.

Being empathetic means considering each person as an individual and is intricately linked to that person’s emotional resilience.

This does not mean that an individual’s manager needs to be personally accountable for that person’s emotional state, but it does mean that the organization needs to have a range of mechanisms and support in place that enables the individual to have access to ‘Wellbeing’ resources, that they can take advantage of, and where they feel fully supported.

Gravitas

Think back to a time in your life when you came across someone who you thought was a natural leader. Someone who you wanted to follow, not because you had to, but because you wanted to.

You just knew you could trust in their ability, and they would guide you and have your best interests at heart.

Not only did these person(s) have knowledge and experience, but they also demonstrated a few other traits, such as courage, compassion, respect, empathy, humility, and honesty.

They demonstrated all these things, not just in their words but in their judgment, the decisions they made, and the actions that followed.

This person(s) has gravitas.

Gravitas is more than just having good leadership skills. It is the trust and belief that people have in this person(s) that really stands out. They are typically charismatic leaders whom others will be drawn to.

It is this person(s) that you want to lead and guide people through a crisis. This is plural because there will be people with different skill sets and experiences that you may need at various times.

And remember, the person(s) who yields the most power are not always the ones with the most gravitas.

Of course, people can receive training on developing core skills, but gravitas is a trait remarkably like trust in that it tends to be something that has developed over a period, and requires a degree of humility and dignity when faced with difficult situations. There is perhaps a vulnerability there that allows people to see the human side of the organization. This should not be seen as a sign of weakness in the individual or organization but as a way of establishing trust, and it can be a powerful trait when displayed in the right way.

Gravitas, therefore, is a quality rather than a specific skill, and much like Empathy it comes with a willingness and desire to demonstrate Integrity.

Demonstrating gravitas

Some common traits of people that have gravitas, which are key strengths in a crisis, include:

• The ability to influence the people around them
• Utilise words and actions that deliver impact
• Hold a captive audience irrespective of size
• Remain calm under pressure
• Consider their actions and how people may perceive them and adjust accordingly

Suppose the most senior person(s) is also the one that carries gravitas. In that case, the organization will be extremely fortunate to have this person(s) at the helm, as the organization is potentially already demonstrating the virtues of what it takes to lead the organization through a crisis, and beyond!

Either way, it is important to identify the person(s) that has the gravitas to win hearts and minds, as well as the ability to follow through on stated objectives and actions, no matter how difficult these may be.

It is OK to acknowledge that crisis leaders may be differentiated from other leaders in the organization, afterall we are all human, and with our own unique qualities....

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