5 Strategies for Leading
During a Crisis (or any change)

There is no universal way to lead during
a crisis. But, there are strategies you
can employ that will allow you to adapt
and ignite your leadership style to
effectively navigate crises and other
situations that involve change.

Strategy #1: Reconnect with Your Values, Vision, and Purpose
To be able to act, you have to know whether or not your actions are in line
with both who you are as a leader and what your organization stands for.
To inspire others, you first have to inspire yourself.
Start by considering why you choose to lead.
What is it about leading people that gives your life meaning?

Strategy #2: Reflect Daily and Honestly
The best way to reflect is to keep a daily journal. Doing so lets you set
aside time away from responding to people and critically evaluate how
you are handling the crisis. You can refine your values, catch yourself
making biased decisions, and work out what’s really going on. It also
allows you to take on different points of view and see how other people
would approach the situation, giving you a broader perspective.

Strategy #3: Don’t Wait for Perfection
By accepting that your decisions won’t be perfect, you reduce the
potential for both frustration and decision paralysis. And, you become less
fixated on being correct, making you less likely to keep pursuing a path
that isn’t working.

Strategy #4: Communicate Clearly
If your words are too complex, you will create confusion. Not everybody
will hear the same thing: there will be more than one interpretation of what
is going on and what your goals are.
Communicating clearly gets everyone on the same page so that everyone
can act together in the service of the same goal.

Strategy #5: Empower Other People to Lead
You can’t get through a crisis alone. You need the help of others. And,
that will require them to lead other people.
People can use their skills and the power and resources of the networks
and relationships they build—the social capital—to help you and the
organization achieve your goals.

Onward
As you lead through the crisis, also take into account how your actions are
shaping the type of organization you will lead post-crisis. You don’t want
to just play defense and protect your organization. You want to also play
offense and shape your organization so that it will be poised to lead your
category in the new, post-crisis world.

If you want guidance in thinking more deeply about your company’s
purpose and vision, our Ultimate Guide to Creating a Company
Vision coaches you through the process of creating a purpose and a
vision using the best tools we’ve found over nearly two decades.
You can download it by clicking here. We hope it helps you gain
clarity and become a stronger leader.