Tweet

Leadership Truth #11 - Great Leaders Do Better in a Crisis

Written by: Robert Whipple

Article Overview: A hallmark of great leadership is that these people do better when there is a crisis. They are more prepared going in and have a way of navigating during a crisis that instinctively finds the best path through chaos. How do they accomplish this?

Leadership Truth #11 - Great Leaders Do Better in a Crisis

Leadership is most valuable in crisis situations. Throughout history, the conduct of a leader during a time of extreme peril has defined the quality of that leader. In this area, there is a stark contrast between the average leader and theexcellent leader.

The distinction begins even before the crisis is evident. It is a mindset. Average leaders take rest when things are going smoothly. They focus on the little fires and beat them down so they do not spread. Other than that, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the mentality. We might as well enjoy the way things are going since it is smooth sailing. By contrast, theexcellent leader sees the world as a series of calm times and storms, some of them hurricanes. The calm times are opportunities to sharpen our skills and reactions for the next storm. For sure, it will come, so we ought to be looking at our past successes or failures in prior storms to get ready for the next one.

In business, the nature or timing of the next storm is far less predictable than in nature. For example, in late summer, we can expect several hurricanes to crop up in the Atlantic and work their way toward the mainland U.S.. Once they form, computer models can predict with various levels of accuracy if, when, and where the storm will come ashore. Most crises in business are less predictable. Some trends can be tracked, but usually the big disruptive events are things that are impossible to forecast. For example, if we are manufacturing aircraft, we can plot the seasonality and long-term trends, attempting to anticipate peak loads. Then, a fire in the factory causes a crisis that is a total surprise. The impact of the crisis on our business dwarfs anything we had been planning based on market projections, yet we are forced to deal with it immediately.

Once the crisis hits, the average leader becomes unglued for a while. There are so many things to do at once, and triage in the business world is often a neglected skill, so the leader wonders whether to call a meeting or let the front line people work on the most urgent issues without interruption. Communication channels have not been set up to handle the chaos, so instructions or intentions come through as garbled signals. Think of the emergency responders in the World Trade Center after the first tower fell. Instructions were not getting through to all responders, and many additional lives were lost because of it.

The average leader somehow manages to deploy an effort to fight the situation, but it is often meager compared to the proportion of the disaster. People wonder why there was not more specific leadership coming through when it was needed most.

By contrast, theexcellent leader has refined the procedures for communication and action ahead of time. Even though the exact nature of the crisis is not known, the preparation phase is an ongoing high priority. There are often mock "fire drills" to practice damage control and hone communication procedures to be ready in case the real thing happens. For example, a CEO might arrange to distribute a fake internal news release that the toy being sold by his chain was causing deaths. This would force people to react with everything from recalls, to insurance negotiations, to government briefings, to press statements, etc. After practicing the mock disaster, they could hold a debrief meeting and might determine the internal communication between executives was practically nonexistent during the crisis. All of the managers were doing their best to keep a lid on the damage, but the total effort was not well coordinated. This debrief would allow the team to design an information dissemination process so if a crisis ever surfaced, they would be in a far better position.

In addition to anticipation, theexcellent leader has other advantages in a crisis. The team of top people already has a high level of trust, so there is no need to have redundant communication channels to ensure the right information is getting out. People on the team know if a manager says he will take care of an issue, it will be done. Actually, there is a sense of calm in a disaster when working with an outstanding leader. She knows the team is capable of handling the situation, and that this is just another test for the future. In Do Right, Lou Holtz put it this way, "We might as well be prepared for crises in our lives because they are going to happen, and adversity is just another way to test the greatness of an individual."

In fact, there is often a kind of exhilaration associated with a crisis. Undoubtedly there are chemical changes going on inside the leader. While the average leader may experience the adrenalin of an emergency as she frantically prepares for fight or flight, theexcellent leader more likely feels the endorphins of the chase and the challenges her team will face in the coming weeks. There is no panic. The feeling would be, "OK this is our hour to shine. We have prepared for this and have a strong team to do the right things. My job now is to remain calm and steady as we navigate the rough waters. I am actually intrigued by the challenge."

Throughout the resolution of the crisis, the exceptional leader operates mostly as a coach to reflect what is going on and reinforce the small wins that ultimately lead back to stability. The average leader is busy barking out orders like a fire chief at a blaze, but thegreat leader is calmly reassuring everyone that the crisis is well in hand, and there is no need to worry long term. The whole process is much better organized and calmer for the population. Customers and suppliers notice the difference too.

Related Articles
  The Decline in Trust & Confidence in Leadership
  Crisis Leadership
  Lead people through the crisis with courage:
  Eliminating the Fear of Failure
  Leader or Liar?

Article Tags: calm, control, Crisis, fire drill, Leadership, trust, values



Related Forum Posts
Re: Business Women Peer Mentoring Spotlight - Hi Everyone, Gosh, I REALLY appreciate your concrete feedback. This was far more than I expected and I'm glad you said what you thought straight out. Each of you have shared something of value and I want to take some more time to think and really go over what each of you have said. However, I can see there are some things I need to change right away. What an interesting point about a NEW program perhaps making people think they are guinea pigs! This is NOT what I want to convey! It's funny how we can see some things so clearly in others while not always seeing it for ourselves! I must admit there are a few things I've been meaning to change (like my bio which is very outdated). Obviously, these things need to be higher on my priority list. You caught me like the plumber who puts his clients first and doesn't get around to fixing his own tap! As far as my target market, I do feel quite strongly about working with Women Leaders and doing Leadership Coaching with them. It's non-negotiable in my books. In my Executive Coaching training, the terms "Leaders" and "Executives" are interchangable. To me, an Executive is a Leader and so is the Business Woman or Entrepreneur who is CEO of her own business. I love working with decision makers! What I did learn is that I need to avoid opening up the Leadership term beyond what I described above. I'm also wondering if there is a misunderstanding with the general public as to what Leadership Coaching really is. Leadership Coaching is all about developing your leadership skills, both as a people manager and in more effectively running and growing the business. There is ALWAYS room for growth in some way. As well, sometimes, we just need a sounding board to clarify what our next BEST step is. In fact, if a woman thinks she has nothing to work on, then we aren't a good Client/Coach fit anyway. How can she grow if she doesn't see the value of expressing ALL of the great ability within her? How can her company grow if she doesn't see the value of strategic planning for the next best level? Thanks again to you all! I will go back to my website and really question whether I am conveying the right message. I got more than I bargained for in this Spotlight... you generously offered way more than I was asking. I think we could be on to something great for the Forum. Now it's time to let someone else have the spotlight. It would be great if everyone took a turn! In gratitude, Tami
Different Hats - CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company Strategic Vision 10 Alliances & Growth Strategies 10 Hiring & Managing People 8 Mentoring 8-9 Strategic Planning for Clients 10 Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty) Financial Management 9 Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0 Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff) Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!) Speaking 10 (so I have been told) Self Promotion 9-10 Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+) Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have) Great topic Kevin!! Jude
Re: March 21 Triple Crown Update - Congratulations to the first three Leaders in the Forum category. Keep it up.
Re: Forums Question - Ok guys - the This Month's Leaders should now be working - thank you for pointing this out!
Re: Forums Question - test post to check for This Month's Leaders - no need to reply


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Designing Employee-Enhancing Training Programs

Earn More Money - Easy Home Business Ideas

How do you keep it together on a daily basis?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.