How to be an Effective Leader in a Crisis

COVID-19 has changed the face of business, overnight. Many leaders feel like their confidence and competency has deserted them and are struggling to shift how they guide their employees. Their support network is struggling as well, and answers are hard to find. Uncertainty effects employees at every level, though it doesn’t have to if you develop effective leadership tools.

Leadership in Crisis

Acknowledge it’s NOT Business as Usual

In times of crisis, you could be faced with a situation you are unfamiliar and unprepared to deal with. Daily communication, employee engagement, task distribution and accountability have shifted into uncharted territory. Business as usual is no longer usual or routine.

• Take time to connect with your team more often. Regular check-ins, including video meetings and chat can help a team feel more connected and motivated.
• Stay organized with a daily status check-in on your own projects. This keeps you disciplined and productive, setting an example for your team to follow.
• Your actions speak louder than words — model the behavior you want your team to reflect.

Build Team Cohesion

To be an effective leader during a crisis, you need the help of everyone on your team to develop solutions and implement them. This means brainstorming and collaborating, asking them for help and ideas, and gaining their commitment to complete projects. By encouraging potential complainers to become problem-solvers, you can positively influence team productivity.

• Invite a conversation about identified areas of concern. Encourage your team to face problems with courage and determination.
• Facilitate collaboration by building employee’s confidence and encouraging teamwork. Solicit regular input from team members, review and reevaluate their feedback and provide course correction as needed.
• Acknowledge your teams’ hard work by showing them you appreciate their effort. Saying ‘thank you’ or ‘I appreciate you’ can make the difference in a team member’s attitude and motivation.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

Be Decisive and Manage Expectations

People are not comfortable when crisis hits, they want it over with as quickly as possible. This can often create miscommunication that leads to confusion. As a leader, they are looking to you for answers.

• Dispel rumors, explain the situation in a straightforward manner while focusing on desired steps to overcome it. When things are changing daily, it helps your employees maintain a sense of control if they have information.
• Clearly communicate your desired outcome, and set your team’s roles and responsibilities accordingly. Define next steps and set clear priorities that empower your team to discover and implement solutions.
• Don’t forget “Murphy’s Law”. In a crisis the likelihood of Murphy showing up is increased tenfold. To keep “Murphy’s” surprises to a minimum, update your plan regularly, and prepare your team for quick action.

The most important aspect of a crisis is not the crisis, it’s how you lead your team through uneasy times. Choose your words wisely, your team is looking to you for guidance and effective leadership.