I realize this may sound like a strange thing so say, but trust me; never waste a crisis. This is vitally important simply because we learn so much from them. We learn about our people, systems, risk management, HSE program, quality programs, and leaders. Additionally, relationships are put to the test and can be strengthened by how everyone pulls together.
According to an article in Forbes, there are three distinctive phases of crisis leadership:
- Response Phase
- Reintegration Phase
- Restoration Phase
Today, I am going to explore each phase through the lens of a business leader and project manager.
I addressed leadership through the response phase of crisis in last week’s blog. This phase calls for a leader to be intentionally calm and to thrive under pressure. As well, it relies not just on answers, but direction without fear or panic. In other words, a leader does not react, but responds to the crisis in real time. As well, a leader needs to be clear on the big picture, the priorities and objectives of the enterprise, and the outcome of the crisis. Lastly, a leader must over-communicate to the team, the clients and their suppliers and subcontractors to keep them informed and perhaps to prevent a secondary crisis.
As a leader, I have been trained to be inclusive of everyone on the team at all levels, and to encourage brainstorming and collaboration. During one particular crisis when I was gathering input from the team, one of them said “Gary, just tell us what to do.” She knew in a crisis a collaborative approach could come later. Even though I was not completely confident, I communicated my plan. The team then gave me their feedback, and off we went, to successfully manage that small crisis.
After the initial crisis has passed, we enter the reintegration phase. In this phase, Forbes explains we all return to our roles as collaborative leaders. The same crisis team remains in place so we can implement decisions identified in the response phase. It is important, however, to adjust the business from what we have learned in the crisis. Depending on the scale of the crisis, our entire business and systems could require an overhaul. At this stage, therefore, we must recognize the need for change.
About ten years ago, we were very fortunate to have recognized the talents of one of our leaders who we thought could assist us through a major system change. It was a crisis that had crept up on us, but it arrived nonetheless. This emerging leader quickly realized the technical details of the change were not the challenge. The true hurdle was convincing a large team how change was necessary. Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Realizing this, the leader adapted a plan to suit his audience and hired a full-time communications coordinator to reinforce the messaging. As well, he engaged other leaders in the organization to address emotions such as fear, anger, and grief. Lastly, this leader forced us to slow down and communicate with our teams and bring them on board with the changes. He told us we could not ignore emotion and instead must tackle it head on. We trusted his approach, and the transition went well as we avoided the potential of an even larger crisis.
As we enter the last phase of the crisis, Forbes reminds us most organizations will want to return to the way things were before the crisis began. Whether good or bad, the reality was known and familiar. Your teams will always prefer certainty over uncertainty. Uncertainty is a risk we are rigorously trained to avoid. Leaders must rise above this fear while they enthusiastically and charismatically frame a new future. This is not simply about being persuasive, but about creating an opportunity to partner with your managers and employees towards that goal. In other words, it is time to pull the vision, mission and value statement off the wall by the elevator and really use it.
Leadership is not a popularity contest. After adapting to the learnings from a crisis, the revised long-term vision may not be supported by all your staff. Rosalyn Carter reminds us; “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” A crisis is an opportunity to take them there.
Crisis is inevitable and can be a gift to the organization. I see too many organizations who look at a crisis as an opportunity to affix blame. Occasionally, leaders make sacrificial lambs pay the price for systemic challenges. Don’t be that leader.
How has crisis affected your ability to lead in your own organization? Please share your successes, as well as your challenges, so we can all keep learning together!
Stay safe, everyone.
~ Gary and the team at Bosgoed Projects
