Leading an organisation through crisis … no matter what your position is!

Complaining about the bad decisions being made around you is not good leadership. Thinking you know better than others does not qualify you for the role!

There are many effective ways to influence others to do the right things if you understand what they are. Knowing the basics empowers you to make a difference.

There are three significant elements to leading under any circumstance. They become essential during crisis. They are: 1) managing fear 2) managing confusion and 3) managing arrogance.

Managing fear

You must first understand how debilitating fear is. Optimal performance never occurs when fear is present. The myth is that the adrenalin rush is what creates enhanced performance. In reality, fear distorts focus and therefore inhibits performance.

Your leadership responsibility is to first, manage your own fear. Know yourself. If you are deciding or choosing with fear influencing your decisions, you are going to make mistakes. During crisis, those mistakes may make the difference between surviving and thriving.

Taking time off, exercising, managing your breathing and other means of working against tension are critical. You must take responsibility for your own state of mind. As a leader, you must also take responsibility for the state of mind of others as well. Working frenetically will be counterproductive, and if you are doing so, STOP! Don’t enable or encourage long hours and lack of balance in others. You are working against the outcome you seek.

Watch for symptoms of stress. People, including you, will fall into patterns of rushing or over-deliberating during crisis. If you are a rusher, force yourself to slow down. You are probably afraid of losing control. Deal with it. If you are a deliberator, remember that missing the moment of opportunity may be more costly now than at other times. You are afraid of making a mistake. Not acting may be the mistake you make. Again, make yourself aware of the symptoms of rushing or over-deliberating in your peers, leaders, and subordinates as well. Wherever possible, attempt to influence their state of mind in a positive manner.

No matter how scary it is, you must learn to operate from a sense of freedom. If you distort your responses by trying to please others, or tell them what they want to hear, you are distorting the outcome. Be completely conscious of encouraging others to do the same. What you say and do will make a difference in terms of others feeling confident to be truthful around you.

Managing confusion

If you do not know what to do, do not pretend you do. Too many crises are made worse by insecure leaders who don't know how to stay still until they are clear. Your first job is to become completely engaged with what is happening. Seek answers and knowledge of all aspects of the crisis.

A lack of engagement is often the cause of knee jerk responses. You don’t know enough, but you think you do. Others become confused and more frightened because you appear to be out of control. Slow down and get all the information you need to make good decisions. Encourage others to do so as well.

Pay attention to the patterns. They will often lead you to the correct answer. For example, if you have lost a number of good customers, don’t assume you know the answer. Go looking for the patterns and then react appropriately to what you find. If they are telling you that your service has fallen off, don’t cut bodies in customer service unless you want to make things worse! CAUSE AND EFFECT is a rule of physics. For every action there is a reaction. PAY ATTENTION! Make sure you are paying attention to the good things that are happening as well as the bad.

Most important in the challenge of leading by managing confusion is to know You. Know exactly what you stand for and know how to communicate it. If you are clear about your essence, and understand that your essence is your contribution, others will know what to expect. If you are decisive, nurturing, or tenacious for example, remain consistent in your behaviours and expectations around that quality. If you do so consciously and do not become distracted by the expectations of others, your stamp on the organisation will be clear. Your organisation will become more decisive, nurturing, or tenacious as a result. Do not compromise on who you are. Assume that core essential to your personality is exactly what is needed in this situation, and apply it relentlessly.

Managing arrogance

Be humble. Assume that there are forces beyond your control and your job is to respond with grace. There is a cycle to things and the cycle is absolutely going to go down. It will also go up. Be wise and know that the cycles are a way of correcting for our mistakes. We must struggle through them, knowing that they will pass.

Be flexible. Do not discount the decisions of others. They may be critical to your success, even if you believe them to be wrong. They often reflect the fears of those making them and you must understand those fears as symbolic representations of the state of your followers’ ability to execute. Find ways to integrate what they represent into your decision processes. If others want to focus on something you think is irrelevant, wake up and understand why they want to do so.

When you are leading, it is not just about what you want and the outcome you see. Be sure that you understand what others need and want. They may simply be looking for stability and security, where you are looking at a different measure of success. If you want their impulsion in your execution, incorporate their needs into your positioning.

As a leader, you must be very cautious of a mentality that focuses on winners and losers. If you are so busy making sure that your team looks good, no matter the impact on others within or outside of the organisation, you are abdicating a huge responsibility. Good leaders think in terms of the ecosystem. They make decisions based on the good of the whole, even when they must make sacrifices to do so. Anything less is irresponsible.

Summary

If you accept the title and rewards that come with leadership, prepare for the challenges and obligation to overcome your fear, your confusion and your arrogance (ego). No matter how difficult, you must find a way to be responsible for managing these issues for yourself as well as those you influence.

Toni Lynn Chinoy is a senior leadership coach and often speaks to audiences about the fundamental qualities of strong leaders as well as about issues around bullies, power games and taking organisations through crisis. She has authored several books on leadership including: What to Do When it Rains, a handbook for leaders, What to do When it Rains, a handbook for organisations, and Handling Critical Moments with Grace. Her web site is located at www.harlanevans.com.