Dianne WhitfordI don’t know about you, but my head is spinning. More than spinning! Sometimes it feels like it’s going to fly right off. What was normal a few weeks ago seems unthinkable now, and vice versa. Leading effectively in times of crisis is top-of-mind for me today, and perhaps many of you as well.
The current health crisis has upended our lives. It feels a little weird to continue to write about or be interested in personal development topics…AND, I have to believe that there will be life after COVID-19. This won’t be our reality forever. That being the case, I feel that it’s important to notice the lessons being played out on the world stage these days, especially those lessons related to leading (or not) during a crisis.
Real Life Examples are Happening
In the news and social media, and in our own personal experiences, we’re seeing examples of varying degrees of leadership, emotional intelligence, empathy, and many other topics we’ve written about over the last several months. These examples are showing up in our homes, our companies, our governments, and in other world leaders. In our communities and workplaces, we’re seeing examples of what people are truly made of.
It’s sometimes inspiring, sometimes eye-opening. For me, and maybe many of you, it’s also been a time of learning by example.
Leading in Times of Crisis is Difficult (Not a Surprise)
I don’t think I’m shocking anyone when I say, being a leader in a time of crisis is difficult. It’s not worse than being a healthcare or service worker is difficult, just that different challenges occur. In times like these, leaders have a lot to live up to, no matter who they are leading.
It doesn’t matter whether they are a manager of a grocery store, a religious leader, a CEO, or a politician: how a leader shows up in times like these will affect all the people watching them. Many of those people will be those that the leader has a direct and tangible impact on.
Finding Examples (And Being One)
As many of you are, I am reading the news every day. I’m trying hard to ensure that I’m fact-checking every piece of information through sites like snopes.com, and not sharing information that I haven’t confirmed to be true. Every day, I look to my own leaders for examples of behavior, and for reassurance. I’m trying to provide the same to the teammates that look to me.
What I’m seeing and experiencing is prompting me to write about leadership for the next few weeks, especially in times of turmoil and crisis. I think it’s more important than ever to focus key leadership principles that will help us be better leaders, whether that’s in our families, our communities, or our workplaces.
As leaders, in whatever context, there are some things we can focus on that will help us lead more effectively in whatever environment we find ourselves in. These concepts are applicable regardless of whether we are “managers” or not, whether we are responsible for a team of people or not. You can be a leader without being a manager.
Lead More Effectively in Times of Crisis
Here are just some of the top things I think we, as leaders at varying levels and in various contexts, can focus on:
- Sharing information effectively: how much to share, when, and how?
- Demonstrating calm, even when you’re not feeling it: People will take their cues on how to behave from you. How are you showing up?
- Acting decisively: Knowing when to take action, and what kind of action to take.
- Leading “from the back” vs “from the front”: Different times call for different styles. How are you leading from moment to moment? Related to this:
- Being conscious of and addressing people’s concerns: Being able to understand and synthesize information from various sources to get at the root of the concern.
- Actively listening: Listening with your whole body, asking questions, and making people feel heard. Related to this:
- Speaking truth to power: The struggle with your personal integrity and making sure that the people who need to hear the truth, hear it. Related to this:
- Bringing people together: tap into the strength of the many by bringing your family, community, or team together.
- Being emotionally intelligent: Using and honing your emotional intelligence skills, such as empathy, as you’re leading will be critical. Related to this:
I’ll update this post as I go with links to the companion articles and/or podcasts as they are created and posted.
Over to You
How are you coping? Is there anything else you’d like to hear about or want to share? Any tips or tricks you’ve found that is helping you maintain an even keel in your teams or families?
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