Leadership Reveals Itself in Times of Crisis

As we all navigate these – dare I say it? Has anyone said it yet? – unprecedented times, leadership is more important than ever. Leaders around the world in politics and business are being challenged to navigate this very strange a lá plague period and keep the people who rely on them afloat.

It is easy to be a good leader when things are going well. But when uncertainty seeps in and overtakes our collective psyche, when people are worried and when the economy decides to go skiing down the advanced-skiers-only slope at Thredbo, leadership is tested. In times of crisis, leadership reveals itself: Who is actually demonstrating leadership?

Some examples of great leadership behaviours in this time that I have observed include:

1.     Leading as part of the team

Jacinda Ardern has been praised for demonstrating brilliant political leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. One key pattern I have noticed is that Jacinda doesn’t seem to put herself above the masses. This comes through in both small actions and larger decisions.

We have seen her live streaming to the nation from her home when encouraging people not to go out – a show of her dedication to doing the same. We have seen her, in mid-April, announce that she and her government ministers will be taking a 20% pay cut in response to the crisis.

In contrast, other political leaders early on in the pandemic were publicised forgetting not to shake hands or standing close to one another while holding in-person press conferences. These are small things in the scheme of it all, but big enough to feel like the social distancing guidelines don’t apply to them, or if they do, at a much lower bar.

Why have so many celebrities and famous people contracted the virus? Perhaps in part, because with a sense of power sometimes comes a sense of exceptionalism – that I am outside of the world’s events, and things won’t or shouldn’t happen to me. I think there are some leaders who consciously or subconsciously project the idea that they are somehow above issues of the masses – even something like a novel virus which, evidently, doesn’t seem to care how important your title is.

For these leaders, followers might come to feel resentful that the leader is not in it with them. It’s the equivalent of the manager who never leaves their office, barking orders to the team who must deal with the sales floor solo.

I think Jacinda Ardern’s approach has continued to foster more trust with her nation because she sees herself as part of the team. She’s willing to do what she’s asking her community to do.

 Similarly, in the corporate world, you see some leaders who are volunteering to take pay cuts or leave without pay to support their business, so their employees aren’t the only ones making sacrifices. True leadership requires being a role model.

2.     An appreciative, empathetic and flexible approach

Work is hard right now. For some employees, “work” actually means staying at home with a laptop, trying to supervise their children’s learning, deal with barking dogs and internet drop outs and all the while manage the unnerving feeling of uncertainty about their future.

Now is not the time for “tough love” leadership. Great leaders are instead demonstrating appreciation for their employees. They’re being flexible and realistic about individual situations and working with their team to get results without contributing further stress.

When times are tough, some leaders struggle to manage their own emotions. They let their fear, lack of control or frustration out on others. It wouldn’t surprise me if some overwhelmed leaders now were using lines like “you should feel lucky you even have a job!” when an employee raises concerns.

This kind of power play is misplaced and ineffective. Yes, people with jobs right now should feel lucky, and in all likelihood they probably do. But using this as a kind of poker chip can get toxic. You cannot veto any single negative comment or issue because you’re keeping people employed.

The best leaders are able to separate their own feelings from their work as leaders. They know that a voice of calm reassurance and understanding is far more powerful than any other right now. If people are struggling, maybe they need an open, meaningful conversation where they feel heard. I have some friends who are now in a skeleton team and finding themselves working more hours with more output expectations than ever. That’s hard.

Of course, you don’t want people to give up: You still want to motivate your team. You still want people to be productive and achieve outcomes as best they can. But you need to lead with kindness and empathy.

3.     Decisiveness

I watched one of the World Health Organisation Reps* who has been heavily involved in crises response with Ebola outbreaks speak about crisis management. He said, “if you need to be right before you move, you will never win. Perfection is the enemy of the good when it comes to emergency management… …The greatest error is not to move. The greatest error is to be paralysed by the fear of failure.”

There is an old adage that a bad decision on Monday is better than a good decision on Friday. Aristotle’s ancient virtue of prudence can go too far when you spend so much time analysing that you end up in decision paralysis.

When New Zealand decided to lock down their country, they did so with great clarity. There was a succinct diagram for the public about what different stages of lockdown would look like. Each step was certain and decisive.

Other nations have been slow to the mark in deciding what, exactly, they will do to respond to the pandemic. Understandably, these are difficult decisions. Regardless of the one you make, you will know if it was a bad choice within months or even weeks, which is a very high stakes situation to be in. However, indecision via floundering and waiting is the most ineffective decision of all.

So too, we see this with leaders in businesses. Already, some business decisions made in anticipation for consumer changes are either paying off or being critiqued with hindsight. Regardless, the longer staff are left in limbo about what’s going to happen, the more uncertainty is created. There’s no such thing as risk-free, perfect decisions here. But decisiveness keeps everything moving.  

4.     Transparency and Information Sharing

I think leaders often grapple with what information they should protect their team from. For example, if a manager is under strain from their higher-ups about their team’s results, it may not be helpful to transfer that negative pressure onto the team members themselves.

In times of crisis, often knowledge is not only power, but it is the only power – the key driver of any sense of certainty.

If you need more convincing, you need only look to the public outcry whenever a nation’s leaders are suspected of not giving the public all the information. Just like politicians, business leaders are there to serve – their employees and their customers.

The more open and transparent you are with your team, the more you continue to foster trust, loyalty and healthy discussion. Sometimes that means sharing bad news with your staff or being open about not knowing something. As changes inevitably happen in a business, great leaders will keep their staff in the loop, explaining what’s happening and why certain choices have been made.

Additionally, there is no training manual for what is happening right now. Dialogue within a team is important at the best of times, and now it is integral. Great leaders now are checking in on their team members even more and asking how they can support them. They are also interested in how they can improve their processes to help employees feel safe or more productive.

 We know that leaders never have all the answers (… have you seen global politics recently?), but now brainstorming sessions are even more useful. Employees can bring innovative solutions to novel problems we are facing – and they can do this best when everyone shares information.

This time is challenging for everyone. We are all trying to balance our priorities, stay safe, look after our families, manage our finances, do well at work, keep ourselves healthy and keep ourselves sane. Although this is perhaps one of the most difficult times in modern history to be a leader, it’s also one of the most opportune times to level up our leadership. 

I think this period will spur incredible success for some people’s future, because their value as a leader will be revealed. Some leaders will thrive. All will learn. And some may be exposed.

By assessing their approach and looking to those who are thriving, leaders can serve their people more effectively in this time of crisis. This test will make better leaders of all of us.

What do you think?

*I can’t find his name, perhaps someone who knows who I’m talking about can let me know