What leadership looks like in a crisis
Parent Post
One of the critical
One of the critical tasks of a leader is communication.
Were one to err in their communication, they would be better served by trying to communicate more frequently, with many leaders under-communicating because they believe everyone knows what is expected of them.
While that belief is simply incorrect in good times, it is catastrophic in a crisis.
The leader’s voice needs
The leader’s voice needs to speak to meaning and purpose, and a failure to do that will put them woefully behind when faced with unimaginable headwinds.
Even if the leader hasn’t had this conversation often enough, it is necessary for a crisis, and it needs to be included in every conversation until it becomes the truth.
Positive and optimisticLeadership sounds
Positive and optimistic
Leadership sounds positive and optimistic, even during difficult times.
The voice of leadership doesn’t ignore the real threats ahead. That is what it means to be positive and optimistic; it is believing you will succeed in spite of obstacles.
Communicating your fears and doubts about being able to reach your goal or overcome some insurmountable challenge transmits those beliefs to your team.
One of the ways
One of the ways to create certainty in uncertain times is to provide an action plan, choosing to act on what is in your control: your response to the external things that are beyond your—or in some cases, anyone’s—control.
When you provide strong guidance on what must be done and in what order, it allows those in your charge to start, to act, and to push back against the obstacles confronting them.
UnafraidFear causes some people
Unafraid
Fear causes some people to freeze. When the danger is real and the consequences grave, some people lose the ability to act, even when acting would benefit them.
It’s not that leaders aren’t afraid, but that they fear the greater danger, the danger of doing nothing, the danger of the negative outcome of failure.
Leaders speak to the need to confront the challenge directly, providing others with the courage to act instead of withdrawing.
Purpose and meaningWho we
Purpose and meaning
Who we are is more important than what we do.
People don’t find purpose and meaning in tasks unless they understand why these tasks are important. The “why” that so many people search for is answered with a definition of “who we are.”
Your “why” is answered with “who.” The “who” provides people with a standard, a greater expectation, and a charge to keep. Leaders communicate identity, standards, and commitment.
EmpoweringThe voice of leadership
Empowering
The voice of leadership is empowering and never disempowering.
Leaders communicate the idea that you can act. It’s an antidote to the loud utterances of those who suggest that nothing is in your control, intimating that you should give up and accept your fate.
The leader’s voice has to drown out the din of external, negative, and disempowering voices, which carry ideas that would rob people of their agency, their ability to act on their goals, and their ability to achieve the outcomes they want or need.
Action-orientedLeadership sets a vision
Action-oriented
Leadership sets a vision of a better future state—a direction, a charge—by communicating these things continuously.
The communication is action-oriented, providing what must be done, how it must be done, and when it must be completed.
When people aren’t sure what to do, leadership sounds like direction. It establishes priorities, actions, and deadlines.