“It’s in times of crisis that good leaders emerge.“
–Rudy Giuliani
This week was the first session of John Maxwell’s “Leading Through Crisis” Roundtable and I wanted to share some of those concepts with you. John starts out by telling us that this whole teaching is about perspective, because “how we view things is how we do things.” If I am a follower, my perspective only impacts me. As a leader, my perspective doesn’t only impact me, but others.
Here are John Maxwell’s perspectives to becoming a good leader in crisis:
1. Put people first. It’s all about the people. The good thing about this is it’s always about the people, if we are good leaders. We need to be available to our people. We need to do everything in our power to help people not only get through the crisis, but to become better because of it.
2. Educate yourself. Get facts not fear. Watch only enough news from good sources to stay safe and informed. The media often sensationalizes because that’s what sells. My personal opinion here is that many are suffering more from the fear surrounding the virus rather than the virus itself. Get your education from the Center for Disease Control. They have daily updates and they are based on facts.
3. Be flexible. A crisis contains so much uncertainty and things can change almost hourly. We need to stay adaptable and adjust when there’s need. Be ready to explain clearly the changes to our teams in a timely fashion.
4. Leverage your team. All of us have different perspectives. “All of us is smarter than one of us,” quotes Ken Blanchard. If we aren’t leading teams at this time, we can reach out to others that we know are strong and positive. Sometimes, my thinking can keep me down, while reaching out to others lets me know that I am not alone. If my outlook is less than hopeful, other strong, positive people can walk with me during this time.
5. Communicate judiciously. (You know that’s John’s word–it means with good judgment:) We may need less talking and more thinking. Be wise and discerning in how and when we communicate. When in doubt what and how to communicate, reach out for someone else’s perspective.
6. Be authentic. A leader’s first responsibility is to define reality. We need to always tell the truth. People are not looking for perfect leaders, so we don’t need to have all the answers. We need to manage ourselves well and lead by example. One of the best perspectives we can offer our team is one of hope, security and encouragement. Eventually, the crisis will pass. They always do.
I love this quote by John Wooden here, “When the opportunity presents itself, it’s too late to prepare.” The time to be preparing for the next crisis is now, because crises are quite common.
Hopefully typed,
Jan
Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team
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