Crisis Leadership

I try hard to keep my weekly leadership musings apolitical and for good reason. In today’s supercharged and overheated discourse even a hint at staking out a position offers one’s opponent (however defined) a chance to slice and dice with the fervor of a culinary expert on Iron Chef America. Thus my abstention from wading into the political muck. However, I’m not adverse to a comment or two about leading in a crisis, especially since our nation’s current debt ceiling negotiations seem largely absent of this vital skill set.

What do you admire most in a leader when the “chips are down” and the organization is on the brink or already sliding over the precipice? I posed this question to my Twitter followers and have incorporated some of their responses in what follows. Modesty and humility are at the top of my list. A leader who acknowledges reality—however painful and uncertain—without making the situation about himself, invites others to become engaged. Instead of assessing blame or arrogantly dismissing any responsibility, an humble leader, through words and actions, shows how much she genuinely cares.

Another key crisis leadership quality is resolute seriousness. No one appreciates a leader whose only response is rhetoric; whose best plan for moving forward is based on scaring employees or intimidating vendors and customers. Some leaders view a crisis as their opportunity to criticize opponents and belittle any ideas emerging from the frontline employees. This behavior comes across as childish at best with no chance for building any lasting respect. Instead leaders should gather information from all sources, make quick decisions based on what is learned, and communicate clearly (even over-communicate) with all stakeholders, including the media.

Leading in a crisis also requires more than a willingness to compromise. While finding middle ground may offer short-term solutions it rarely results in lasting innovation or true change. That’s because compromise assumes that each party leaves some of what they desire off the table. Collaboration is a better approach because it is based on everyone seeking the best solution, not the only one you are willing to accept at the moment. A collaborative process means leaders, employees, customers, and vendors might all have a say in how the crisis is addressed and what is needed to prevent a future one. Sadly, this tactic is rarely employed because it requires moving beyond one’s stated position and finding creative alternatives that enable real transformation. A crisis is often precipitated by not wanting to change the status quo.

However you view the current political posturing one thing seems obvious, some of our nation’s leaders lack these essential qualities and attributes. Lest you eagerly point a finger at their inadequacies, consider how you might handle some future crisis in your organization or reflect on your performance in a previous crisis situation. I doubt if any of us can say with certainty that we have behaved admirably under similar circumstances.

A crisis calls for more than speeches and platitudes from its leaders. It should summon better behavior than cleverly diverting attention or scornfully lecturing an opponent. The modest, humble, resolute, and collaborative leaders don’t need public accolades or media spotlights to inspire action. In fact they are probably working quietly behind the scenes to solve the problems. But they are leaders nonetheless and in a crisis all the rest seem losers at best.

The Bare Necessities

Have you ever been confronted with a challenging task or project and felt woefully unprepared or inadequate? I’m known for my thorough preparation, as anyone who has attended one of my seminars or classes will attest. Each handout and planned group activity is carefully researched and designed. The meeting space is set up in advance and any audio visuals or equipment are tested and ready. This approach is intended to give me a sense of competence and confidence that my efforts will be successful. Of course, even my best plans don’t always achieve the results I’m expecting.

This week I was reminded in several ways how the daily grind of unexpected interruptions and heavy workloads can sap our creative energy and dull our emotional intelligence. Those same moments can leave us feeling empty, vulnerable, and incompetent. It’s hard to face the world when the talents and skills we have come to rely on seem distant or unproductive.

Fear can paralyze our effectiveness as leaders. Sometimes it is well-founded, many times it is not. When I fail to delegate tasks, it’s time to admit how my need for control may be stunting another person’s growth. If a publishing deadline is missed because I’m afraid the article isn’t perfect my clients may be prevented from receiving timely advice.

I have encountered more than one person recently who was feeling overwhelmed, unable to make clear judgments, or act on decisions because they had lost their perspective. Today’s downsized workforce and demand for greater productivity is causing many of us to focus on the wrong priorities. Instead of imagining possibilities we only see problems. Unless we learn how to reframe the situation we will surrender to a hopeless malaise, too paralyzed to act. Without making time for purposeful planning we will find ourselves procrastinating instead of prioritizing the most important aspects of our work.

Sometimes the best strategy for coping under these circumstances is to realize we aren’t alone. I have learned how to ask for help or to turn to God when the situation seems bleak. Our greatest resources aren’t always found in the prestige of an MBA degree, years of experience, or even past accomplishments. Baring our souls, being available in the moment, and trusting others may determine the ultimate outcome and level of success.

In the Disney movie, The Jungle Book, lyricist Terry Gilkyson, penned these memorable words for Baloo the bear to sing.
          Look for the bare necessities
          The simple bare necessities
          Forget about your worries and your strife
          I mean the bare necessities
          Old Mother Nature's recipes
          With just the bare necessities of life

Might these lyrics offer prescriptive relief for leaders facing unrelenting challenges in their personal and professional lives? What bare necessities have you been ignoring in your workplace and circle of friends? How has worry contributed to your incessant need for control? When was the last time you reframed your thinking about a problem? Perhaps it’s time to rediscover the bare necessities of life and leadership.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Occasionally a recent event and the theme of a previous blog converge. The result is an opportunity to revisit that original inspiration and share it again. I hope you will enjoy a slightly edited version of a posting first shared in 2007.

This past weekend was spent attending a bi-annual family reunion in central Pennsylvania. Organized by first cousins of the Byler clan I belong to, it included representatives from every family, plenty of good food (roast pork, homemade ice cream, and a fried mush and eggs breakfast topped the list) and inspiring four-part a cappella singing, something our family is known for. There was laughter, plenty of family stories (some likely embellished a bit), and good conversation. It’s funny how these events have become more important to me as I grow older.

The leaders of this clan, my grandfather, Thomas, and grandmother, Ada, are no longer with us. Only three of the six sons survive, including my dad. Yet this gathering reminded me of the important role that leaders play in family dynamics. Their legacy affects future generations in ways they would probably find hard to imagine.

While my family shares common biological roots we also share a deeper spiritual and emotional connection. The values, beliefs, and traditions of our family bind us together and create a special atmosphere when we gather for these occasions. Conversations soon move beyond the cursory “How are you?” and “What are you doing these days?” to a substantive dialogue about family, church, work, or even politics. I found myself quickly engaged at many different levels.

What is the leadership lesson in my “walk down memory lane?” I know that not everyone who reads my blog has good memories or relationships with their families. Yet we all belong to a family and, in a larger sense, share a connection with everyone on this planet. What will be your legacy to the world when you have passed from the earth? Will you be remembered for your sense of humor, gentle spirit, deeply held values, and love for others? Will you be known for giving people a second chance, a helping hand, or a kind word?

Every day you can affect the lives of those closest to you – your family. At some distant reunion what will those who gather remember about your life and influence? Will they talk about your strict rules and controlling personality or will they recall your passion for life and how generous you were with your time, talents, and money. The choice is yours and, as a family leader, it is an awesome and humbling responsibility.

What's On Your Mind?

As I grow older I’m increasingly aware of my memory limitations and the toll it can take on my work, interaction with people, and self-esteem. It’s embarrassing not to remember a person’s name, misplace an important file, or overlook an appointment. This week I interacted with a number of seniors who are currently experiencing memory loss caused by various health issues. In spite of how hard we “Baby Boomers” might try, there is no guarantee that memory impairment won’t impact our future retirement years. I could continue to recount the experiences of family and friends who have lost key elements of their memory but that isn’t the focus of my thoughts this week. Instead I want to offer some observations and insights about the way we think.

Leaders frequently face challenges that can seem insurmountable. There are so many things in our world and work environment that we can’t control or change. But there is a way to alter how we think about those obstacles and problems. We can lament how much we hate to make cold calls or imagine the new people we might meet and learn more about when we pick up the phone. Our focus can be on how tight our budget is or the opportunity to unleash new creative ways of doing business. In each of these cases, what’s on our mind—the way we are thinking about the situation—is the most important thing.

Psychologists call this process reframing and it is a useful tool for any leader to learn. We tend to move in the direction of our thinking, so if we are worried and anxious our mind is more likely to see the problems and obstacles ahead. When we reframe to see the possibilities and opportunities instead, our mind is more open to new ways of thinking and acting. In this case the familiar phrase “mind over matter” becomes a mantra for seeing the world around us differently.

If you are feeling “stuck” right now try reframing the issue before you. Turn the negative into a positive, the problem into a possibility, the obstacle into an opportunity. We can’t turn back the clock on memory loss but we can choose to express the future in different terms; to see our world with a new perspective. What is on our mind as leaders does matter, but perhaps what matters more is how we choose to think about and shape our response.

Seeing, Wanting and Taking

It’s human nature to covet, a verb translated as “yearn to possess or have (something).” In many cases this desire can be positive. Leaders of all stripes would covet more time with family or to pursue a favorite hobby, like golf or fishing. Some of us covet the awards we have received over the years for achievements in athletics, academics, or community service. But there is a more sinister side to this sometimes admirable quality.

Leaders are not immune to the temptation of craving more power or control, even at the expense of others. Some of us secretly yearn for more autonomy, greater income, or a chance at the corner office. A few of us may even maneuver overtly and covertly to secure these accoutrements of business success. But is seeing, wanting, and taking really a sign of effective leadership? Does having an MBA give leaders a license to feed their greed?

I was reminded this week that our individual actions, both positive and negative, have consequences. The decisions leaders make may seem confined to fulfilling their own wants or needs, but this is rarely the case. Organizational culture, values, and trust rely on the integrity of leadership actions. When leaders behave in selfish or misleading ways the employees and other stakeholders will suffer the repercussions. One doesn’t have to look very far to find examples of this conduct in political, business, and other settings.

In earlier times, the moral fabric that knitted our society together served to reduce a leader’s temptation to act in wantonly selfish ways. Today the absence of morality in our economic and political systems has led to an increased willingness for leaders to see, want and take whatever they desire. A new generation of leadership is needed to courageously offer another way. Our temptation to covet in unhealthy ways doesn’t always have to gain the upper hand. Perhaps we can all learn to see the needs and share instead.