Leadership During a Crisis
Randy Wolken, President & CEO
A crisis is one of the toughest events to prepare for; so how does a leader plan for a crisis? Our daily lives are so busy that we often don’t even consider preparing for a crisis until one hits. However, preparation is essential if we hope to successfully navigate the next crisis. As leaders we need to be well-equipped for a crisis so we can lead our teams and our organizations through a future crisis.
Our lifetimes are filled with change. Crises cause dramatic changes and often result in hardship and that is why we must be prepared for them. Lack of preparation will leave us, our families, friends, and community without the leadership necessary to successfully navigate out of a crisis.
There are entire professions dedicated to preparing for the crises of a community, nation, or the global community. First responders prepare for emergencies that affect individuals and communities. Firefighters, police officers, and paramedics all prepare for unexpected and sudden events, like the devastating floods in Texas. Likewise, our military is prepared to go to war on short notice. Even parents must be ready to intervene in a crisis that besets their children. No matter who you are, preparing for a crisis is necessary. The first question we must ask is, “what kind of crisis could we face?” and then, “what outcome do we seek?”
Professionals trained to deal with a crisis, conduct scenario analyses to determine what it takes to be prepared for a crisis. They decide what resources will be necessary, identify what skills and actions are needed to respond effectively, and then practice or simulate the situation so they can begin to build muscle memory on how to act during a crisis. A crisis, by nature, is stressful, uncertain, and can potentially have dire consequences. You don’t want to wait until it occurs to prepare. Reliance on instinct alone rather than preparation during a crisis can lead to negative outcomes. This is why we have so much respect for first responders and our military. They undergo immense amounts of training so they can be prepared in a crisis to help and save others, often at the risk of their own safety.
Crisis leadership is a learned set of skills. It’s becoming a requirement for every leader to learn how to prepare for crises large and small. We will all face many crises in our lives; they may be personal or job-related, in your local community or on a national, or even global scale. It’s not a matter of whether these crises will occur, but when. The reality is, the better prepared we are, the more successful we will be at leading through them toward a prosperous future.
One of the most critical changes leaders make during a crisis is to their daily rhythms and routines. Crises are fast-moving and disorienting events. Changes that may have taken months or weeks in the past can happen in a day. As such, crises require a high level of attention from all leaders. Individuals on your team must be cared for and guided during the day. Weekly check-ins will not do; daily check-ins at minimum are required. People need to know you care for them and are on their side. The team functions best with lots of questions and guidance during a crisis. Taking action and being in control of what we can be is what is necessary. Having a plan and modifying it as the situation unfolds is critical. I’ve never seen a plan during a crisis that didn’t require constant updating, sometimes dramatically. When this occurs, over-communicating is the key. This way, people know that the leaders and everyone involved are being attentive to what’s transpiring and adjusting accordingly.
We want the truth told to us. We also want to know our way to the future. Leaders must be intentional about how they go about this delicate balance. We must remember that fear is not a friend. As leaders we share the present situation not to cause fear but to inspire clear thinking to navigate toward a better future. This belief in your team and the individuals who make it, along with good leadership, provides hope and guides an organization to success during a crisis.
During a crisis, a daily set of updates and check-ins with the team is critical. I like to hold brief, all personnel meetings for 30 minutes to get a sense of the team’s progress and to instill hope. Leaders of small teams do check-ins during the day to ensure that individuals are coping and developing their rhythms for the crisis. The adjustment to a crisis rhythm is key for everyone. Everyone will adjust differently but daily life during a crisis will change and adapt. Crises are different in their demands and their pace. Getting individuals and teams to adjust quickly is the key to rapid planning and execution and this is true no matter how long the crisis lasts.
Prepare now for how you’ll lead during your next crisis. Don’t wait for it to happen. It will be helpful to your family, team, organization, or community to be prepared when the inevitable occurs. Crisis leaders are more invaluable now than ever!