24 Jun How to Be a Strong Leader During a Crisis
A crisis can happen to any company. It can occur at a moment’s notice or it may slowly arise with time. These situations may only affect your business or it may be a worldwide pandemic like COVID-19. Regardless of what the crisis may be, a leader must be ready to keep the company afloat and their employees engaged and worry-free.
Here are a few ways that leaders can remain strong during a crisis.
Make Decisions Quickly
A strong leader cannot be an indecisive leader. During a crisis, the situation can change each day. For example, consider the COVID-19 pandemic. Within days, entire cities were shut down, businesses had to close doors, and employees were suddenly left with no income. To determine the next step for a business, decisions had to be made quickly and carefully.
The best leaders are willing to set everything aside and utilize their resources to quickly gather all available information. They do not make decisions based on their own emotions or before any facts are gathered.
Delegate to Others
A strong leader does not try to be the sole hero during a crisis. Rather, they gather a team to work with them. They may request help from others to gather the most up-to-date and pertinent information on the situation. They may ask others to work closely with departments to make small adjustments with policies or major project changes. Additionally, these leaders do not try to take all the credit for the decisions and work they are completing. They give proper credit where it is due.
Be Transparent
When a crisis strikes, employees can become worried. They may be fearful about the future of their employment, the health for themselves and their family members, and more. It is important that the employees are well aware of many of the decisions, adjustments, and concerns that the leaders are making. Being transparent in the workforce will help to ease the anxiety and stress of the employees and they will be more satisfied and engaged with the company and their employment.
Stay in Control
As a leader, a crisis can be an overwhelming and stressful situation. It is easy to become so overwhelmed that your demeanor, tone of voice, and even body language drastically change. However, a strong leader knows what it takes to stay in control and to avoid this from happening. They can easily adapt to the situation and even while angry or frustrated, they can keep their emotions in check.
One way to maintain this control is to practice self-care. These challenging times at work can consume a leader’s time. It can affect your judgment, decision-making, and overall well-being. To prevent this from happening, take breaks and give your mind time to refresh and rejuvenate itself. Go for a quick walk around the block or a long run during lunch. Receiving the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep is also crucial to help you face a new day without burning yourself out, working in a brain fog, and more.
As a leader, you will likely face many challenges. Like the global pandemic, they can be stressful, overwhelming, and scary. To help you come off even stronger than when you started, apply the above items into your leadership style.
