Leading in a crisis
Leading in a crisis: What the war in Ukraine has taught business
Leadership in any setting is about trust-based influence. It’s not something you’re born with but can be strengthened and developed over time. It takes practice, commitment, and huge amounts of resilience, none more so than in the sphere of crisis leadership.
By anyone’s definition, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can be seen as a crisis, which has forced business leaders across the world to step up and make fast decisions to support their staff and families affected, as well as harnessing their reputation and credibility in doing the right thing.
Such decision making is often required with little or even contradictory information. It’s also taken under the watchful eyes of an ever increasing vocal workforce who will observe and judge the decisions and actions of senior leaders as to whether they are consistent with the organisation’s brand, values, and culture.
The international community has been united in its condemnation of Russia’s attack, while businesses are also showing solidarity with Ukraine. This Raconteur article highlights how as part of the corporate backlash, Apple suspended sales of its products in Russia, car manufacturers Ford and Jaguar Land Rover have paused activities in Russia and retailers Nike and H&M have stopped exports to the country.
However, for many businesses there is more than sales riding on their response to Russia’s attack. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalated, companies operating within the country had to quickly mobilise to protect their employees.
International financial services firm Allianz took measures to safeguard staff in Ukraine by setting up a free telephone hotline and is providing transport, accommodation, and financial assistance for Ukrainian colleagues, on top of a €12.5m donation to humanitarian aid causes.
Former Refinitiv CEO David Craig, outlined in an earlier post on LinkedIn some of the lessons he learnt from leading the business through various crises, “It sometimes takes a true crisis to test your strategy and leadership skills,” he wrote. “And the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces is certainly the largest test that many of us have ever faced, or ever wanted to face.”
Such circumstances require companies to clearly communicate the priorities and objectives that will guide decision-making, as these will have to be made quickly, under pressure, and sometimes with poor information. Craig adds that although those in the CEO seat may not have all the answers, “you will be asked what your position on this crisis is, what principles do you stand for?”
Extensive research suggests one of the most fundamental considerations of an employee is, ‘do I feel safe and cared for by the organisation and my bosses?’ This equally applies across all industries as well as the media, sport, and military.
The answers to such a question will undoubtedly impact levels of engagement, effort, and ultimately retention. In the current market place, staff will talk with their feet if they sense a disconnect.
My own observations of the C-Suite from advising them in hundreds of crises including ransomware attacks, sensitive data breaches, kidnapping and hostage taking, malicious product tampering and emergency evacuation, the key principles of success remained the same, regardless of whether a person’s life hung in the balance or it was the very viability, reputation or existence of a global organisation that was at stake.
So what enabled the best leaders and high-performing teams to successfully resolve such situations? What did they specifically focus on that enabled them to overcome and achieve where others failed?
STEPPING UP: Self Leadership And Creating A Winning Mindset
In a crisis there is no room for ego. The most effective leaders realise this and park theirs at the door. Only once a leader is able to manage their thoughts and behaviour effectively, can they begin to influence their teams. They have great self-awareness and know all too well the importance of taking time to engage the team before any crisis actually occurs.
They also show up and be human, understanding the benefits of them being visible particularly during a crisis when staff are looking for reassurance and certainty in a world that can’t provide it.
And whilst uncertainty can create a contagious anxiety throughout an organisation, it’s imperative leaders provide calmness at the centre of the storm to override and embrace ambiguity and be comfortable in being uncomfortable.
Nor do such leaders seek to play the hero in its popular sense, despite most crises offering the opportunity to do so. The Latin root of ‘hero’ actually translates as ‘protect’ or ‘serve’. Great leadership is therefore servant leadership; which is not being naive or weak but comes from a place of contributing to the greater good, of the mission, the team or the organisation; showing empathy and compassion through meaningful action. The best leaders have a clear sense of purpose, which sustains them when the going gets tough. And it always gets tough, never more so than in a crisis.
Much has been written about the leadership shown by Ukrainian President Zelensky in refusing to give up the fight against Russia. As the Wharton Professor, Adam Grant writes, leaders don't become icons just by being the best versions of themselves. They also need to enact the aspirations of those they lead. That requires empathy and humility.
This ability to understand and embody the values of a team is something everyday leaders can learn from Zelensky. "Charisma attracts attention. Courage earns admiration. But commitment to a group is what inspires loyalty. We follow the leaders who fight for us--and we make sacrifices for the leaders who serve us," Grant concludes.
In a crisis, leaders must take 100 per cent responsibility for their situation and accept the reality of what’s being faced. At the same time it is essential for the leader to provide direction and then empower the team to deliver.
The most effective leaders also avoid burying their heads in the sand and are always expecting the best, but preparing for the worst. Nor do they avoid asking (and answering) those difficult questions that arise in such situations.
Another factor is building resilience among their teams, as depending upon the nature of the crisis, the duration could be a matter of hours, days, weeks or even months or years. No one can go flat out indefinitely, so establishing a workable battle rhythm for the long haul is crucial to ensure such resilience and enable effective decision-making. Plus, the business still needs to run effectively in the midst of whatever else is going on.
SO WHAT & NOW WHAT? Applying The Strategies
Another vital skill of leaders, beyond having a curiosity and openness to listen and engage, is being able to simplify complexity and then communicate in such a way that it’s clear to employees as well as suppliers and clients, what the organisation stands for and why.
Once a Crisis Management Team has been established, the key question becomes “So what?” followed by "Now what?" What does this mean for the family, team, organisation, etc? Is it merely a minor bump in the road and unlikely to disrupt the business? Or is it likely to be game over, with catastrophic consequences?
To assist in this, the leader must rapidly ascertain who the key stakeholders are, how they are affected, how they should be communicated with, and with what message throughout the crisis. Once this has been established, the leader can then clearly articulate working strategies.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS: Become A World Class Communicator
There’s an old adage that you can’t over communicate in a crisis as everyone, particularly employees, will be hanging on every word and gesture, looking for meaning where there may not be. Developing the experience to have those difficult and sensitive conversations can easily be obtained with the right skills and knowledge.
A well-thought through and effectively used communications plan is fundamental to a successful resolution in any crisis situation. Crucially, this is not the same as the Marketing or PR department quickly throwing together a press release. Crisis communication is one of the two fundamental components of crisis management, with the other being operational incident management. It’s possible to do the latter well, yet mess up the former, thereby exacerbating the situation even further.
REVIEW & REPEAT: Future Proofing For Success
Crises if nothing else are opportunities for leaders to step up and demonstrate to themselves, their teams, clients and community what they stand for and why they do what they do. No effective leader is an island though and they neglect their support crew at their peril, whether that is their family, colleagues, or others outside of the organisation.
Crises also bring with them a sense of urgency to achieve things that might otherwise have taken months, years or dismissed and placed in the ‘too difficult’ tray. The Covid-19 pandemic provides a perfect example of how organisations with thousands of employees enabled working from home in days and weeks rather than months, years or never.
And once the music stops and there is a return to a ‘new normal’, the power of conducting a debrief within the framework of constant and never ending improvement cannot be overstated. The training never stops, as there are always new skills to learn or existing ones to refine. Indeed, such leaders embed a training and learning culture, rather than one of blaming and shaming.
A crisis also provides both an opportunity and impetus to ask what systems and processes need to be over hauled or gotten rid of altogether? As well as potentially which clients to focus on or to no longer serve.
In summary, effective leadership in any form of crisis requires a quick response, with the setting of clear, unambiguous strategies to achieve the desired outcome. The effective leader can then influence what should be a united, purpose-driven team to achieve this outcome, with the focus being on empowering others to become effective leaders too.
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