Leading in Crisis

At a recent board meeting, I sat around the table with the other corporate directors listening to a series of management presentations. They stood before us with slumped shoulders and stressed expressions on tired faces. The economic conditions hanging like heavy yokes around their necks, I could sense they felt the future would bring nothing but gloom and a premature end to their bright careers.

It was like they were trying to peer into a shadowy basement, armed with only a feeble flashlight and fading batteries—and then the batteries died completely, and they were alone in the terrifying gloom.

Well, I don’t have this grey hair for nothin’. I’ve been around long enough to have lived through and survived three economic recessions, and that’s enough experience to know in my heart of hearts that we’ll eventually get through this one, too.

That’s also enough experience to know that the most important behavior for business leaders in a crisis is to be the positive, energizing force that their companies so desperately need.

And that’s what I told those managers: to keep their spirits up, to not let all the negative news about the economy distract them, and to realize that the board supports them and believes they are doing a good job of managing during difficult times.

When the going gets tough, the tough don’t hang their heads, slouch their shoulders, and look like they just got hit by a freight train. Real leaders stick their necks out and see difficult situations as opportunities to refocus. Real leaders don’t look around for who or what they can blame—they see the positive qualities of the people around them. After all, these are the people who are going to pull together and do the hard work it’s going to take to recover. Real leaders understand that their attitudes and people skills have tremendous influence upon the future of their company. What these leaders do will speak so loudly that the employees will hardly hear what they have to say.

Be the Energizer Bunny

If you compare two similar companies, both experiencing similar challenges, both led by equally skilled leaders in operational and financial matters, I’d place my bet on the one with the leader who has the most positive and energizing leadership style. I’ve seen it myself: In a crisis, the most successful leaders bring out the best in other people, make others feel like they are important, communicate the company’s vision and strategy clearly, and focus on the possibilities instead of problems.