Crisis Management Tips for Leaders

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Leading an organisation or a team amidst the pandemic is something nobody has anticipated in this lifetime. People only have seen a massive health crisis like the one the world is currently facing in the history books or the internet. That’s the reason why the world needed to halt for some time until everyone figured out what’s required to navigate all its complexities.

Drug addiction has been a long-time problem even before the pandemic broke out. Heroin rehabilitation centres, for one, have been working non-stop in making sure that their treatments and all other rehabilitation programmes are updated through their collaboration with different organisations dealing with drug addiction problems.

There’s no doubt that substance abuse of employees can significantly affect any company’s efficiency and productivity, which is why some organisations came up with a brilliant idea of educating their people and operations managers. Leadership coaching strategies have been identified as a strategy that can address the substance abuse issues within the company even before it escalates. 

In addition to solving current threats, businesses that utilise a problem-solving strategy, employee training, and leadership communication can help foster empathy and engagement in their employees due to every crisis.

Here are some practical tips leaders can do in managing crisis within the team:

1. Even if there is no immediate solution, ensure that all parties involved are aware of the situation. 

You don’t hurry to communicate the crisis until all of the facts are gathered. Begin by identifying and resolving the situation’s underlying causes. Then apologise to everyone involved, but avoid taking responsibility if the problem was not your fault in the first place; instead, express regret for any agony or difficulties caused by the circumstances.

2. Constructively relay possible solutions. 

Give a clear picture of what you’re doing to solve the problem in the long run. Even if you were a part of what began the situation, it’s critical to convey the issue or possible problem whilst being explicit about the source. However, you may minimise the damage by offering remedies to the problem to the senior leadership team, which will highlight your ability as a leader.

3. Think about what the situation is trying to teach and encourage growth. 

A growth mindset is crucial because it allows you to overcome challenges that may arise when learning new things or developing new skills, especially when faced with organisational problems that need immediate attention. Perseverance and determination are essential traits of a growth mindset. Many leaders have a fixed mindset on occasion, which can cause setbacks because it can influence the development of the skills of the leaders and everyone working within the team. Individuals with fixed mindsets prioritise appearing intelligent, whereas those with growth mindsets give importance to learning.

4. Monitor and follow through with the actions taken in resolving the crisis. 

Contact everyone who may be affected to see if they need additional resources, consolation, or help to navigate the crisis. To respond appropriately to a situation, you must effectively communicate critical information to those who will or may have been impacted and vice versa. Having trustworthy and capable people around who can help you put things into perspective is an excellent way to get through a crisis. 

It’s critical to recognise that a crisis can bring out the best or worst in people. You have the option of rising to the occasion or succumbing to it. Utilising what is known as contextual intelligence is a prudent strategy for accomplishing the former. This allows you to use your knowledge in real-world situations and circumstances. In other words, adaptability is the capacity to apply knowledge and abilities to various challenges to find a solution.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.