Every leader will be faced with a crisis at some point in their career. It may be the result of a major economic downturn, the introduction of significant competition, a major shift in consumer or customer preferences, technological disruption, in rare cases a pandemic, or other forces, anticipated or unanticipated, that result in a rapidly imposed inflection point. No matter the circumstances, it is during challenging times that leadership competency can be best assessed or understood.
Moreover, it takes a much different skillset to lead organizations when faced with extraordinary headwinds. Leaders must be willing to redirect and rapidly deploy strategic efforts, employ adaptive communications, and execute with precision and discipline.
Be Ready to Redirect Strategic Efforts
Major business challenges require more than conventional solutions and strong management skills. They require a rapid shift from responding within a reasonable timeframe and making minor course adjustments to considering, evaluating, choosing, and rapidly executing initiatives that often represent major changes in strategy.
These responses may require modifying the business model, key processes, and organizational structure; new ways of thinking about the market and competition; and, most importantly, swiftly inspiring the organization to support and adopt the rapid deployment of a battle plan. A major mind shift needs to occur that ensures that the things that matter most and have the greatest impact are addressed with focus and disciplined execution.
The larger the organization, the more daunting the execution challenge and the greater the reliance on the leader’s ability to garner support, confidence, and trust.
Employ Adaptive Communications
An essential, if not the most important, responsibility of the top executive during extraordinarily challenging times is to ensure the unequivocable alignment of the leadership team. This requires ensuring an unambiguous identification and understanding of the top priorities (the fewer the better) and assigning the right organizational resources to address these.
To accomplish this, conventional communications and frequency need to give way to clear and relevant timely messages that inform and support activities critical to satisfying the priorities. “Wartime” communication has to be better designed to provide context to stakeholders who are critical to carrying out fundamental operations functions, while also informing others dedicated to executing the changes that will reposition the organization for success.
Leverage Trust and Engagement
While the COVID pandemic required major changes in business operations to sustain and in many cases survive, it also established a “burning platform” that did not require explanation. This type of situation is much different than those more typically faced in business, where the imminent threat may only be initially apparent to top executives. For this reason, the communications and engagement of leadership need to be much more visible and trusted.
This last qualifier is the most important. During difficult times, trust in the leader is sacrosanct, especially when execution of the strategy requires additional personnel sacrifices and commitment. The warrior leader, as strategic navigator in times of crisis, must have a trusted connection with the people. However, this trust cannot be established at the point of crisis. And without it, the organizational changes will default to being done to the organization as opposed to with the organization and create cultural challenges that will plague the organization well into the future. Too often, the leader, or leaders, who made the changes to the organization get the short-term results, move on, and are rewarded, leaving the fallout to others.
Fighting for the Future
Leading during times of crisis, while challenging, is extremely motivating to warrior leaders. Their accountability does not have to be defined or forced; it is self-imposed. While their attention may be on strategic initiatives that address the impending challenges, they do not lose sight of the longer-term impacts and implications.
These leaders serve both today and the future with an understanding that, good or bad, their decisions leave an indelible mark on the people they serve.
January 7, 2025
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