Lessons of the week: Leading in times of crisis – best practices

The challenges leaders are currently facing are enormous and unprecedented with the coronavirus and it’s economic and financial impact.  Not only do they have to steer their ships amid uncertainty, their decisions may also have a long-lasting impact on people’s lives.

I partner with busy leaders to transform their mindsets and behaviors so that they lead and live wholeheartedly and powerfully.  The coaching conversations I’ve had with them this week have been even more significant, and I am blown away by how these leaders have shown up more ‘human’, and wanted to share with you some of my key takeaways and learnings from them in the hope that it is useful for you.  “This is a human crisis, and companies need to treat their employees in a human-centric way,” Natasha Lamb of Arjuna Capital told the NY Times. 

Most conversations this past week have been around leading in times of crisis, leading virtual teams, building collective resilience.  I’ve noticed that while typically leaders are looking out, they are seeing the importance of also looking in, thereby very much aware of how they show up to lead and support their teams.  I’ve synthesized what has come up most frequently, and each leader had their own individual way to turn the volume up on some of these things, and in different amounts.

·      Increase empathy – listen, understand that some may have more challenges than others

·      Connect and engage on a personal level – make room for more personal conversations, more in depth, not just ‘business as usual’ conversations

·      Share the broader context and the long-term perspective – keeping an eye the long-term vision is a way to keep the focus on what’s important, a way to keep moving forward, and to stay hopeful and positive

·      Be real and realistic – share what it’s like for you, and be realistic about what is happening, don’t just stay in the positive

·      Know what you can control, and let go of what you can’t 

·      Show up confidently within uncertainty – though you may not know what the world will look like, you can be confident in the present moment.  I will borrow a phrase from an ex-military client: “Embrace the Suck”.

·      You are not alone – often leaders think they have to bare the burden by themselves, this is untrue.  Lean in to your peers, managers, and team.

·      Take care of yourself, or you can’t take care of others - self-care, though probably the last thing you want to spend your time on, is probably the most important.

·      Increase your visibility – people want to see you, hear you

·      Seeking and giving clarity- staying away from assumptions is even more important during times of crisis.

And most important, all wanted to genuinely care for the people around them. 

I’m grateful that they have taken the time to have these coaching conversations.  I’m hopeful it has allowed them to re-charge, re-focus, find calm and solace, be more productive, learn, and cope.