Being a leader carries a great deal of responsibility, but being a leader in a crisis makes your duty more intense and complex. Conventional techniques and standards may no longer be relevant, and it's easy to get frustrated and lose your bearings. Yet, outstanding leadership is still totally possible in a crisis and more essential than ever.
One very effective strategy is to concentrate on what is expected from you as a leader. Here are six things people expect from you as a leader during a crisis:
Enthusiasm and a sense of direction
To help your business grow and thrive in the current situation, you must be intentional in your actions. It's time for big decisions that have to be made fast, so have your goals and objectives at hand to guide you.
Well-established objectives
As a leader, it's critical that you determine your organisation's and team's objectives with the help and advice of everybody involved. Construct a framework with broad agreement and ownership – leaving room for route adjustments if necessary. Once you've defined your priorities, reaffirm them regularly to keep them at the forefront of everybody's mind.
Excellent communication skills
Great leaders recognise the value of communication, and they realise that reaching out and being transparent is more vital than ever in difficult circumstances. Strong communication debunks unpleasant rumours and boosts involvement.
A forward-thinking attitude
The finest, brightest leaders understand that the past may no longer be significant, so they don't look back and instead focus courageously on the future.
A powerful team
The most exemplary leaders understand that they are only as brilliant as the people around them. They build and cultivate ideal teams capable of collaborating efficiently, integrating first-hand knowledge with practical listening skills such as the ability to gather and provide insightful feedback.
A culture that accepts and embraces mistakes
In my experience, I have found that it is critical, especially when the stakes are raised, to be the type of leader who supports creativity and risk-taking, which includes embracing missteps rather than penalising them.
TAKEAWAY: Crisis leadership, in short, involves responding to the immediate situation and mitigating future challenges. Your words, actions and manner as a leader may effectively steer someone through a crisis – or cause them to keep stumbling.