Sonia McDonald* says there is no greater challenge for a leader than when an unexpected and full-blown crisis suddenly erupts.
As a leader, you are already responsible for handling the situations that arise each day, as well as your regular duties.
It’s not just everyday situations that you may face, however.
It’s inevitable that you will face disasters during your career, and you must be prepared to handle them.
From a building-wide power failure to a public health scare (like the current Coronavirus pandemic), these are the four leadership skills that leaders must have in order to navigate the situation.
Adaptability (Creativity): Even the most well-planned events can go wrong, and sometimes they evolve into a crisis.
Being able to handle these less-than-perfect situations and adapt your approach is what the best leaders do.
You need to have a Plan B, and be able to quickly devise a creative Plan C (or D, or E…) if the situation requires it.
Gather input from your team to get other perspectives and collaborate on a creative solution.
In times of crisis, this is what will help you to adjust and solve the problem.
Self-Control: When faced with a crisis, leaders must stay calm and collected.
This involves a great deal of self-control, as it’s a natural reaction for many people to panic and become frantic.
With self-control, a leader can take charge, communicate clearly, and think rationally and logically to get the situation under control.
Relationship Management: Even in a crisis, the best leaders know how to manage their relationships with those around them.
Assertive but friendly, they can encourage teamwork, direct people and inspire them, even in a crisis.
It takes self-control to not lose patience and start ordering people around; relationship management skills go hand-in-hand with self-control.
Do not let a crisis get the best of you, because it can affect your relationships with your team.
Communication: This is critical for any leader to excel in, and it’s probably most crucial during a crisis.
Timely, concise and clear communication in a calm manner helps get important information across fast when dealing with a crisis.
It’s much easier to work toward the best outcome with effective communication with team members.
There’s usually no warning (or very little) before a crisis occurs, and they can take a variety of forms.
A leader must be able to communicate effectively, control themselves, be creative and adaptable, and keep relationship management in mind during a crisis.
So when faced when a crisis – how do you lead?
My mantra during this time is: Crisis can lead to growth and opportunity, stuff-ups can lead to resilience and lessons, and purpose and vision can face down any challenges.
I have added my top 10 ways to lead through a crisis.
You must align expectations; focus on more of what makes you who you are; demonstrate positive energy and actions; be authentic and tell the truth; remember and know what you stand for.
Always demonstrate kindness and empathy; always see the big picture; stay calm and courageous; have a flexible and focused plan, and remember that leaders must simply lead.
Have you had to lead your team during a crisis?
You no doubt used these skills and ways to lead, even if you weren’t consciously aware of it.
*Sonia McDonald is the Chief Executive and founder of Brisbane-based LeadershipHQ and McDonald Inc. which have the aim of building great leaders and organisations through strategy, culture, leadership, performance and change. She can be contacted at soniamcdonald.com.au/
This article first appeared on LinkedIn.
