When companies do not have a security department to lead in a crisis, to whom does this important mission fall? Many small to medium sized companies do not have the luxury of security departments, or even a security director leading the way. Most times it falls to Human Resources, or a manager with leadership responsibility. If you fall into this category, you are not alone. Even for the most seasoned personnel, this could be a daunting task. Possessing a leadership foundation is a key component in responding to and managing a crisis. Displaying leadership requires you to remain calm, focused, and act decisively while communicating with clarity and trustworthiness. Are you mentally prepared for this enormous task?
Leadership foundation starts before a crisis begins. Being authentic, building partnerships, fostering empathy in combination with effective decision making and communication are fundamental skills to acquire and maintain.
Being authentic starts with knowing who you are and having a strong character. Earning your colleagues’ trust prior to crisis mode is an important characteristic that will serve you well. Building partnerships and recognizing where their expertise contributes to a common goal for the company can lead to better cooperation and collaboration during a crisis. Empathy fosters care and connection, and when employees feel their leaders are genuine, it can help calm emotions and create a more positive atmosphere.
Effective leaders make informed decisions that incorporate an understanding of the available information, seek counsel from different perspectives, and manage their emotions while adhering to the company’s values. In a crisis, when emotions run high, instability exists, and stress is high. Stress induced decision making is challenging. Having a leader who has honed their decision-making skills in normal times will fare better when leading a crisis.
Lack of communication can cause employees to be more stressed than necessary. To help calm fears, it is important to foster open communication, transparency and mutual understanding. Being an effective communicator prior to a crisis occurring will better position you in providing clarity, confidence, and control of the message during an event.
In summary, whether you are leading the way in human resources, legal, as CEO, or security, possessing a leadership foundation will help you to be an effective leader in a crisis.