3 Under-appreciated Skills Crisis Leaders Must Master

Summary

Effective crisis leadership requires mastery of breathing techniques, maintaining perspective, and creating space for teamwork and honest communication.

Abstract

Crisis leadership demands more than just instinctual reactions; it necessitates a set of under-appreciated skills that can significantly influence the outcome of a challenging situation. The article emphasizes the importance of controlled breathing to manage physiological responses and maintain clarity of thought. Leaders must also step back to gain perspective, prioritize immediate actions, delegate tasks, and consider the broader implications of the crisis. Creating a supportive environment for the response team is crucial, providing them with the autonomy to perform while shielding them from external pressures. These practices not only aid in navigating crises but also enhance overall leadership capabilities by fostering resilience, sound judgment, and empathy.

Opinions

Controlled breathing is a simple yet powerful tool for leaders to regain composure and make rational decisions amidst chaos.
Leaders should resist the urge to micromanage during crises and instead trust in their team's abilities, thereby fostering a culture of psychological safety.
Prioritizing tasks and delegating effectively are key to maintaining clarity and preventing paralysis from an overwhelming number of details.
Ethical considerations are paramount in crisis management, and leaders must navigate these conundrums with careful judgment and empathy.
The skills highlighted are not exclusive to crisis situations; they are fundamental to strong leadership in any scenario, enhancing a leader's humanity and effectiveness.

3 Under-appreciated Skills Crisis Leaders Must Master

BOOM! It’s the moment when everything goes sideways. The crash. The shot. The lawsuit. The technical meltdown. In that instant, time blurs. Pressure spikes. Vision narrows.

Whatever your “boom” happens to be, your physiological reaction is programmed into your DNA. Humans, in fact all animals, have an instant, instinctual response threat: freeze, flight, fight. If you want to lead through “boom” to a successful outcome, you need to get out of the emotional basement to engage in productive action.

Here are three essential, under-appreciated skills to get your reponse on the right track:

Breathe. It may sound too simple, but the truth is this — control your breathing and you control everything else in your body. Take three deep breaths and you will feel your heartbeat slow your muscles relax. It will bring you out of the basement and restore the calm you need to make sound decisions.

Step back. To lead in a crisis, you need perspective. It’s hard to get because everything and everyone will scream for your attention. It’s easy to get tangled in a muddle of details. To clear the fog, make a list of what absolutely must be done immediately. Delegate as much of it as you can to the trusted team around you. Then pause to sketch out the bigger picture. What are the known and potential consequences of what’s unfolding? Who are the stakeholders and what are their concerns? What are the ethical conundrums (there’s always at least one in every crisis)? All of these will require your attention, judgement, and often empathy — so apportion your time carefully.

Create space. I’ve too often seen executives pull everything in close during a crisis. While you don’t want the crisis to consume the entire organization, to lead you need to create space for your response team to do their job. That means giving them “top cover” and holding off unnecessary pressure from the board, media, and others. If your team is good (and you better have gotten that right before the crisis), they’ll be working as hard as they can to rectify the situation. You also need to create the psychologically safe space for tough truths and differing opinions. Failure to do can encourage group think, create blind spots, and increase the likelihood of missteps.

This list of skills is hardly exhaustive. However, these are three areas where I have seen leaders stumble. For more on what it takes to lead in crisis, check out my book, You’re It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When it Matters Most.

And, as you may have realized, these skills aren’t just for crisis situations. Each of these will make you a stronger, more resilient, and more effective leader in all circumstances. These skills call on your humanity — and that’s where the best leaders make the most difference, each and every day.