How to Be a Leader During a Crisis

Recently, I hosted a Facebook Live to field questions and offer tips on how to navigate work during the Coronavirus. An audience member asked this question:

My team looks to me for leadership, but right now I'm as freaked out as they are. How can I be a source of calm and support for them in a crisis?

The person who asked this question is in good company. I’ve had friends, clients, and even one husband inquiring about the same. So let’s talk about it. How do you lead a team through a crisis when you're battling the very same crisis?

And please note, whoever you are, I’m talking to you. Because whether it’s your team, your family, your community, or yourself, every one of us is leading someone right now.

Start by caring for you

Daniel Goleman, the man who first coined the term “Emotional Intelligence,” recently published an article highlighting the importance of the emotional state of leaders right now. When we allow our minds to get wound up in fear or anxiety, we become less effective at taking in information or making sound decisions. Goleman says:

The fundamental step every leader needs to take now enables him or her to manage their own emotional state. That means changing your relationship to your feelings—recognizing them rather than just being pushed around by them. And once you know what you are feeling—particularly if it’s fear, anxiety or worry—the next step comes down to managing those feelings.

Don’t think of this is a nice-to-do when things slow down. Recognize managing your emotional state as an essential step in readying yourself to be the person your team, family, or community needs you to be right now.

When you're anxious and afraid, it can be hard to think clearly, let alone get work done.  See episode 591 on managing anxiety at work for some clear and tangible advice.

Be transparent

Being a leader doesn't mean being a superhero. Regardless of where you sit on an organization chart, you’re navigating your way through this crisis. Whether you live alone or have children or elders or a partner relying on you, you need time, space, and grace to find your way through this uncertain moment.

So don’t try to hide that from your team. Let them...

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