Susan’s Blog

Working through an imminent crisis. 

I had the experience of leading my organization through a major hurricane; Ivan in 2004.  It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done so I wanted to share what I learned to be the key items to focus on when a leader finds himself in a situation like this, which I hope you never do, but that is unlikely.

Here are is what worked for me:

• Listen - you must listen to all that is happening around you - the spoken and unspoken.
• Make decisions - People look to their leader to make decisions.  They do not want you to be perfect; they want you to do your best to work hard to serve their best interests under the circumstances.  Determine what is most important at any point in time.  More than anything; however, they want you to LEAD.  Be very clear in direction.
• Focus on the people - If you get the people right the rest falls into place.  Are they safe, bring them together, are their basic needs met, create a picture of next steps - as I say a lot “the end game”, create for them the ability to engage in the future, act/react with an open heart (be real).
• Communicate - you cannot communicate too much.
• Bring your team into the picture - keep them informed and let them perform.

These are the things that helped me the most.  I hope they help you if you ever find yourself leading in a crisis.

One might ask what I believe is common to great leaders or “elite” leader… If you notice the focus of my work, in my research and observation, truly elite leaders show a high degree of certain traits, some more than others, but all of these traits are present. 

It is important to add that I believe that these traits are part of who the person is; they are embedded into their being.  These traits must be present to some degree in anyone who aspires to be an elite leader.  The basic traits however, can be developed or drawn out in order for one to enhance their leadership capability.

• Charisma – the ability to attract others, build trust quickly and develop relationships with others in such a way that they are easily followed

• Environmental Sensitivity/Emotional Intelligence – the innate ability to put one’s self in another’s shoes and the ability to understand how those around him are affected by all that is impacting them

• Strategic Thinking/Outsider Perspective – defined as having an outsider’s perspective and an insider’s knowledge of the situation and then the ability to make decisions, set policy and lead based on the combined perspective and knowledge

• Flexibility – willingness to take risk, make sacrifices and continually adjust to the environment

• Empowerment Orientation – (critical to operating in a dynamic environment) – this leader respects the input of others as well as works to seek it out.  Further, is able to relinquish control while maintaining responsibility) to others so they may react more quickly in the service of the overall goals of the organization

• Vision – the ability to look out to the horizon and identify the direction that must be taken, turn it into a story (a picture of the end-game) and articulate it clearly

• Grit/Drive – personal resilience, the ability to come back time and again against obstacles in the way of one’s success and overcoming those obstacles

• Maintains a Learning Organization – The leader is in constant learning mode in an effort to stay in front of her followers and is able to be the commensurate teacher, coach and mentor to her followers so that the organization is constantly evolving forward.

It is through the conscious identification and development of the traits that one moves from aspiring to elite!