Common traps + successes of leadership in a crisis
While our world may seem to be somewhat in a mess, business owners need to focus on refiguring a new way of life and navigate the best business outcomes. COVID-19 is first and foremost a global humanitarian challenge. Then there is the matter of initiating survival of your business and its team.
Most leaders don’t have direct experience of leading a crisis of this magnitude, so let’s have a look at the traps and success factors.
Common traps:
Invisible leaders: Don’t let an endless succession of top team meetings where issues are discussed and strategies agreed take over. This leaves a lack of communication between leaders and employees, causing anxiety and aimlessness for your team. Involve your team in discussions as well.
Stiff communications: Don’t try and cover up the situation with calm gloss. This will result in inauthentic communications which again, creates distance.
A communications gridlock: An ever expanding echo chamber develops as everyone emails everyone about the “crisis”. This simply creates tension and absorbs people’s time and work effort. It essentially crowds out ‘real work’, creates exhaustion and a fog of information. This in return impedes the communication of critical messages.
Reaction, Rebound and a likely Recession: Reimagining the business in a post crisis world goes from being reactive to proactive. It’s all about change, change and CHANGE.
Leaders: Need to be VISIBLE, PURPOSEFUL AND AUTHENTIC. Taking this direction with your business will increase the relevance of your teams. Remember that your teams are the hub of getting work executed, looking after clients, and responding with goodwill and activity to achieve great outcomes in times of uncharted directions.
Look at the NOW, then the NEXT, then the LATER: Look ahead with your team. You need to prepare your organisation to pivot to the next wave of considerations and business avenue to take. The keep checking, allowing changes along the way until a clear direction of stability is found.