How to Successfully Lead a Company During a Crisis
13 June 2014
Read by 4302 persons
In times of crisis, good leadership becomes a determining asset. Only companies with an experienced and qualified management team will be able to successfully navigate and bring their ship to port.
To do this, several "golden rules" must be observed. If the leadership challenge doesn't scare you, keep reading; you'll find the 7 key leadership strategies, crucial and positive in times of crisis.
1. Putting Things into Perspective
It is important to remain calm and well-organized. In times of crisis, employees rely on their leaders more than ever. Everyone is watching you and will be inspired by your reactions. Your way of reacting and your actions will set the tone.
To put things into perspective, you must consider your mood and your ability to manage your stress. Take time for reflection and don't throw yourself headlong into a whirlwind of uninterrupted work.
2. Show Humility More Than Ever
Know that no one has all the answers needed to lead in a crisis. You will certainly experience failures and have to react to unforeseen events. That's why it's useful to approach leadership with humility.
Show that you can admit your mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward. Surround yourself with people who have skills and opinions that complement your own to benefit from the collective intelligence of your team.
3. Be Visible and Accessible
Isolation is not a good leadership strategy in times of crisis. If you spend too much time sitting in your office, you'll miss great opportunities. A good leader must be visible and accessible.
Go see people, communicate proactively with your colleagues, your team, and your organization. Be empathetic to the emotional reactions of your employees—especially the stress resulting from uncertainty—and express your confidence in their ability to meet the challenges ahead.
4. Pay Attention to Team Dynamics
When people are under a lot of pressure, you often see negative dynamics within teams. As a leader, you must understand that people's behavior under stress is often very different from their usual behavior.
Work with your team members to help them understand what they control and can influence and the aspects over which they have neither control nor influence. Help them focus on helpful actions. This is not the time to blame your colleagues but rather to leverage the team's strengths.
5. Build a Community of Leaders
The typical response of leaders in times of crisis is very often to "bury their heads in the sand" and focus on their own part of the organization. On the contrary, in times of crisis, leaders must support each other and show even more cohesion and motivation to meet the challenges.
You must unite and work more closely together. Get out of your office. Communicate with other leaders. Set up regular meetings where leaders can discuss the challenges and opportunities facing companies. Work to establish a strong community of leaders.
6. Create a Focal Point
Leaders must create a focal point for their teams and their organization. Remind people what continues to ensure the success of your organization. Systematically determine the initiatives to implement or continue.
Even in times of crisis, exceptional customer service, useful and efficient work procedures, and extra effort remain important assets. The essential thing is to give each member of your team elements on which to focus and which they can control.
7. Act Decisively
This is not the time to delay decision-making—uncertainty creates a void that breeds doubt and panic. You must instead take into account all the parameters of your decision, then act without hesitation.
In most cases, your instincts and the data you have will guide your decision-making, and these firm decisions will restore confidence to your company.
Final Remarks
A good leader leads in the present. A great leader leads in the present and reflects on the lessons learned to put them to use later: take the time to remember important lessons for the future; think back to how you feel today to integrate better risk management into your future decisions; demonstrate that you are comfortable and able to assess the lessons learned from this period to find new ways of doing things in the future.
Leadership is not necessarily measured by immediate performance, but rather by the resilience that allows one to get through difficult times.
Philippe Montant
CEO of ReKrute
To do this, several "golden rules" must be observed. If the leadership challenge doesn't scare you, keep reading; you'll find the 7 key leadership strategies, crucial and positive in times of crisis.
1. Putting Things into Perspective
It is important to remain calm and well-organized. In times of crisis, employees rely on their leaders more than ever. Everyone is watching you and will be inspired by your reactions. Your way of reacting and your actions will set the tone.
To put things into perspective, you must consider your mood and your ability to manage your stress. Take time for reflection and don't throw yourself headlong into a whirlwind of uninterrupted work.
2. Show Humility More Than Ever
Know that no one has all the answers needed to lead in a crisis. You will certainly experience failures and have to react to unforeseen events. That's why it's useful to approach leadership with humility.
Show that you can admit your mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward. Surround yourself with people who have skills and opinions that complement your own to benefit from the collective intelligence of your team.
3. Be Visible and Accessible
Isolation is not a good leadership strategy in times of crisis. If you spend too much time sitting in your office, you'll miss great opportunities. A good leader must be visible and accessible.
Go see people, communicate proactively with your colleagues, your team, and your organization. Be empathetic to the emotional reactions of your employees—especially the stress resulting from uncertainty—and express your confidence in their ability to meet the challenges ahead.
4. Pay Attention to Team Dynamics
When people are under a lot of pressure, you often see negative dynamics within teams. As a leader, you must understand that people's behavior under stress is often very different from their usual behavior.
Work with your team members to help them understand what they control and can influence and the aspects over which they have neither control nor influence. Help them focus on helpful actions. This is not the time to blame your colleagues but rather to leverage the team's strengths.
5. Build a Community of Leaders
The typical response of leaders in times of crisis is very often to "bury their heads in the sand" and focus on their own part of the organization. On the contrary, in times of crisis, leaders must support each other and show even more cohesion and motivation to meet the challenges.
You must unite and work more closely together. Get out of your office. Communicate with other leaders. Set up regular meetings where leaders can discuss the challenges and opportunities facing companies. Work to establish a strong community of leaders.
6. Create a Focal Point
Leaders must create a focal point for their teams and their organization. Remind people what continues to ensure the success of your organization. Systematically determine the initiatives to implement or continue.
Even in times of crisis, exceptional customer service, useful and efficient work procedures, and extra effort remain important assets. The essential thing is to give each member of your team elements on which to focus and which they can control.
7. Act Decisively
This is not the time to delay decision-making—uncertainty creates a void that breeds doubt and panic. You must instead take into account all the parameters of your decision, then act without hesitation.
In most cases, your instincts and the data you have will guide your decision-making, and these firm decisions will restore confidence to your company.
Final Remarks
A good leader leads in the present. A great leader leads in the present and reflects on the lessons learned to put them to use later: take the time to remember important lessons for the future; think back to how you feel today to integrate better risk management into your future decisions; demonstrate that you are comfortable and able to assess the lessons learned from this period to find new ways of doing things in the future.
Leadership is not necessarily measured by immediate performance, but rather by the resilience that allows one to get through difficult times.
Philippe Montant
CEO of ReKrute
