Never Waste a Crisis - A real Leadership
Opportunity
Henrik Scheel
How can one use the Crisis -
A Leadership Opportunity
The leadership during crisis is increasingly important because in today's arena, crises are less predictable, longer lasting, and infinitely more costly. From the corporate boardroom to the modern battlefield, spanning city hall to small business, leaders around the globe grapple with the challenges of crisis. A highly mobile society geared for efficiency and individual freedom is more prone to attack from contagious diseases, anarchists, and terrorists. Globalization of mass media, transparency in organizational operations, and the dizzying pace of technological advancements reduces the time leaders have to employ decisive action. Consequently, they are forced to survive intense public scrutiny while weathering the disruptive forces of crisis. Leaders must be prepared for the inevitable, unexpected, and unprecedented.
The leadership during crisis is increasingly important because in today's arena, crises are less predictable, longer lasting, and infinitely more costly. From the corporate boardroom to the modern battlefield, spanning city hall to small business, leaders around the globe grapple with the challenges of crisis. A highly mobile society geared for efficiency and individual freedom is more prone to attack from contagious diseases, anarchists, and terrorists. Globalization of mass media, transparency in organizational operations, and the dizzying pace of technological advancements reduces the time leaders have to employ decisive action. Consequently, they are forced to survive intense public scrutiny while weathering the disruptive forces of crisis. Leaders must be prepared for the inevitable, unexpected, and unprecedented.
The cornerstone of understanding how crisis effects organizations is to
view the crisis as a continuum, without beginning or end, using a typical Life
cycle approach adapted to crisis, a Crisis Life cycle would have three phases
(preparation, emergency, and adaptive) and distinct zones (comfort, learning,
and danger) of the crisis model.
To seize the opportunity that a crisis provides Leaders need to refined
set of "Leader's Strategies" that can be implemented to not only
stabilize an organization. The leadership strategies include: Lead from the
Front, Focus on the Core Purpose, Build the Team, Conduct Continuous Planning,
Mitigate the Threat, Tell the Story, and Profit from the Crisis.
Understanding the life cycle
of a Crisis
As we see all around us is crisis a universal reality, nothing that just came up with the economic crisis we are going through. Simply put, it is an indelible part of the human condition. Its forces are like tectonic plates. One plate represents an organization's values, beliefs, culture, and behaviours; while the other reflects its changing environment. In the beginning, as the plates imperceptibly diverge, small tremors or vibrations begin to signal the organization of an emerging problem. But when the plates eventually reach an intolerable stress level, they readjust, sending out a cataclysmic eruption, called crisis.
As we see all around us is crisis a universal reality, nothing that just came up with the economic crisis we are going through. Simply put, it is an indelible part of the human condition. Its forces are like tectonic plates. One plate represents an organization's values, beliefs, culture, and behaviours; while the other reflects its changing environment. In the beginning, as the plates imperceptibly diverge, small tremors or vibrations begin to signal the organization of an emerging problem. But when the plates eventually reach an intolerable stress level, they readjust, sending out a cataclysmic eruption, called crisis.
When I attended a coaching course last year, the coach Mark Von Rosing
described how crisis begins. He stated crisis begins when "existing
organizations have ceased to adequately meet the problems posed by an
environment that they in part have created ... the sense of malfunction that
can lead to crisis..." Our failure to heed the initial signals or tremors
and recognize that our relationship with the environment has changed is what
causes crisis. Yet just as conflict is necessary for growth and development,
crisis provides us the urgency, attention, and opportunity to adapt our
organization when there was no previous mandate. I agree and believe that many
organizations refuse to acknowledge a problem until it is a full-fledged
crisis. Sadly to many legislative bodies will not react to a problem until it
turns into a recognized crisis.
To many organizations and people wrongly believe that crisis is a
random, cataclysmic event that can strike without warning. However as mentioned
before, crisis occurs when an organization's values, beliefs, culture, or
behaviors become misaligned with its operating environment. Until they are
realigned, crisis will continue ... indefinitely.
Crisis can be broken down in a generic crisis life cycle model. This
model is representative of a single event. However, it needs to be understood
that crisis organizations face a continual barrage of overlapping conflicts or
minor-crises. Similarly, most crises can't be defined by one event and the
underlying challenge may resurface multiple times, overlapping its beginning
and ending phases. But, for purposes of clarification, our discussion will
focus on that single, cataclysmic crisis event, one that threatens the
organization's very existence.
Crisis Life-Cycle Model
A crisis life-cycle model could be divided into three phases: preparation, emergency, and adaptive. Prior to any crisis, an organization is in the preparation phase. During this time, leaders should be cognizant of tremors or signals of misplaced values and behaviours. Complacent organizations are ripe for crisis. Unexpectedly, almost every crisis is preceded by signals and tremors. Leaders who are listening or are in tune with them may avert or mitigate crises.
A crisis life-cycle model could be divided into three phases: preparation, emergency, and adaptive. Prior to any crisis, an organization is in the preparation phase. During this time, leaders should be cognizant of tremors or signals of misplaced values and behaviours. Complacent organizations are ripe for crisis. Unexpectedly, almost every crisis is preceded by signals and tremors. Leaders who are listening or are in tune with them may avert or mitigate crises.
The transition point from the preparation phase into the emergency phase
begins with an eruption followed by institutional awareness of the crisis.
Stress and disequilibrium become intolerable and the organization's very
survival may be at stake. The transition point from the emergency to adaptive
phase is often hard to recognize and occurs when the immediate danger is
contained. Unfortunately, leaders and followers often don't want to face these
hard challenges, especially after overcoming the immediate crisis. They ignore
the urgency, attention, and opportunity gained. Staying in the learning zone
after crisis is the most difficult, least understood and largest delineator of
leaders who successfully navigate crisis.
Another illustration of the crisis lifecycle is a typical human response
to heart disease. Imagine a young man (representing an organization) who is
told by a doctor (the leader) that he has a family history of heart disease and
should alter his present lifestyle. Since he was a child, he was aware that
smoking, excessive alcohol, fatty foods, lack of exercise and being overweight
could lead to an early heart attack; but chooses to ignore this information. As
he aged, he could feel warning signs or signals of clogged arteries. He was
tired, lethargic, and even had tremors in the form of light chest pain. He
might treat these problems with technical solutions like fad weight loss
programs, blood pressure medication, or even surgery.
The technical solutions deal with the immediate problem, but fail to
address the long term adaptive lifestyle change required. Unfortunately, by not
addressing the lifestyle changes, the man eventually has a heart attack. Now,
as the man's life is threatened, the doctor must use technical responses in the
form of life-saving actions to stabilize him and mitigate the immediate crisis.
Once stabilized, the doctor finally has the man's attention. Knowing this small
"window of opportunity" is fleeting, the doctor prescribes a major
adaptive lifestyle change.For the man, this is tough. Not only did he just
survive a heart attack, but he has to give up all his secure routines or habits
that defined his comfort zone. Changing his lifestyle will mean enduring
further loss and pain. However, if he successfully adapts, he may avoid a
recurrent crisis.
During the preparation phase, adaptation or change is difficult if not
impossible, because organizations prefer equilibrium and the status quo.
The Preparation Phase
Understanding why leaders are ineffective at adapting their organizations during the preparation phase is crucial to understanding crisis. The ability to move an organization from where if feels comfortable, without the urgency of crisis, is extremely difficult. Change means threatening stable relationships, balances of power, standard operating procedures, or current distribution of resources.
Understanding why leaders are ineffective at adapting their organizations during the preparation phase is crucial to understanding crisis. The ability to move an organization from where if feels comfortable, without the urgency of crisis, is extremely difficult. Change means threatening stable relationships, balances of power, standard operating procedures, or current distribution of resources.
"People have a natural aversion to conflict in their families,
communities, and organization. But deep conflicts, at their root, consist of
differences in fervently held beliefs, yet differences in perspective are the
engine of human progress." Even when leaders are aware of their
organization's need for change, they struggle with the paradoxical requirement
to provide direction without causing pain. Also, leaders must continuously
balance the intense pressure to remove stress from their organizations while
fighting the urge to return to the status quo. Therefore, in order to
facilitate adaptation or change prior to crisis, leaders must establish
credibility and create an atmosphere that allows people to face change in
relative safety. It requires them to Lead from the Front.
Another way of preparing for crisis is to recognize, prioritize, and
mobilize awareness for needed change. They must understand and Focus on the
Core Purpose of the organization. This strategy is necessary to understand how
an organization's values are related to a changing environment. Unfortunately,
positive illusions, self-serving biases, and the tendency to discount the
future often prevent leaders from listening to their environment. Sometimes
leaders cannot overcome the state of denial or the awareness of indicating
tremors.
Organizations need structured dialog, systemic decision analysis, and
they must Conduct Continuous Planning to ensure actions are prioritized toward
long-term organization health. For reasons discussed above, leaders often
choose to ignore problems and avoid making hard choices; this is why it is
important to Build the Team. Leaders who build effective teams are able to
rapidly respond to crisis in a unified manner. Leaders who overcome these
obstacles and mobilize resources toward learning, may avoid crisis altogether.
Emergency Phase
The emergency phase begins as the crisis erupts. September 11, 2001 reminds us that if we fail to examine our fundamental assumptions of the world, connect the dots to see the big picture, or think out of the box, we risk experiencing devastating tragedy and crisis. The most important factor during this phase is to Mitigate the Threat and reduce disequilibrium to a safe level.
The emergency phase begins as the crisis erupts. September 11, 2001 reminds us that if we fail to examine our fundamental assumptions of the world, connect the dots to see the big picture, or think out of the box, we risk experiencing devastating tragedy and crisis. The most important factor during this phase is to Mitigate the Threat and reduce disequilibrium to a safe level.
A leader can use the institution's high expectations for security as
capital for autocratic and technical solutions that reduce immediate stress;
however, without addressing the underlying misalignments, crisis is sure to
return. Timely intervention is key to mitigating the immediate threat and limit
long term danger."
This is a perfect time for leaders to use quick-technical fixes to
reduce stress to a tolerable level. However, the need for action must be
weighed against the accompanying uncertainty that surrounds the event. During
the emergency phase, leaders have a small window of opportunity to drop the
organization's disequilibrium in order to stabilize the threat.
First impressions are usually accompanied with limited factual
information that often misses the underlying causes. Therefore, it is
advantageous to Focus on the Core Purpose when formulating initial responses.
Leaders must not be overcome by the urgency of the crisis, but step back and
draw from the guiding principles from the guiding principles of the
organization. They must carefully weigh quick decisions against the realization
that stress tends to reduce cognitive abilities. Using standard operating
procedures, even when they don't perfectly apply, may help lower tension since
routine is calming and reassuring to members.
As clarifying information develops, action and communication become even
more essential, it is essential to Tell the Story. Leaders must rapidly explain
the facts of the situation and actions being taken. Similarly, the leader must
go to "ground zero" to provide needed empathy. People begin to relax
when they see a calm, poised leader relating to their loss. All of these responses
are crucial to seizing the initiative during the emergency phase.
The Adaptive Phase
Once the organization is stabilized, the adaptive phase begins. Although the immediate danger is under control; the leader must take advantage of the fleeting organizational mandate to address the underlying cause of the crisis, to avoid repeating the event. During this phase, the leader has an opportunity to change and grow, develop new procedures, alter the culture of the organization, and essentially Profit from the Crisis. Technical solutions may still be required, but during the adaptive phase, a leader must focus on reorienting the organization to face tough choices. This adaptation phase requires a crucial balance between maintaining the urgency to change while reassuring safety and security.
Once the organization is stabilized, the adaptive phase begins. Although the immediate danger is under control; the leader must take advantage of the fleeting organizational mandate to address the underlying cause of the crisis, to avoid repeating the event. During this phase, the leader has an opportunity to change and grow, develop new procedures, alter the culture of the organization, and essentially Profit from the Crisis. Technical solutions may still be required, but during the adaptive phase, a leader must focus on reorienting the organization to face tough choices. This adaptation phase requires a crucial balance between maintaining the urgency to change while reassuring safety and security.
In conclusion, crisis provides us the ultimate signal that we have
ignored, avoided, or failed to recognize the most pressing issues of our
changing environment. As situations worsen, signals and tremors foreshadow
impending disaster, giving us an opportunity to prepare for or adapt to it.
Unfortunately, most institutions resist change and prefer the safety and
security of the status quo. When disaster strikes, the leader must refocus
organizational resources and attention on survival. They must use this small
window of opportunity to seize the initiative. However, just when survival
seems assured, leaders face a crucial choice. They can either harness the
urgency and attention provided by the crisis to align their organizations with
the environment or risk a return of crisis.
Strategies for Leading
through Crisis
For years crisis management has been synonymous with reactive leadership. While this type of leadership is often an unavoidable reality, this paper introduced a model that may be used to understand the general life cycle of a crisis, but what is the utility of such a model?
For years crisis management has been synonymous with reactive leadership. While this type of leadership is often an unavoidable reality, this paper introduced a model that may be used to understand the general life cycle of a crisis, but what is the utility of such a model?
Applied to specific situations, this model can serve as a lens through
which leaders may view their organizations. This lens, introduced as the Crisis
Life cycle Model, can frame the crisis and help leaders understand the
situation they are facing. Further, the model provides the leader perspective
and context during a crisis. This perspective helps the leader gain a
"birds-eye" view of the situation. The crisis life cycle model
addresses the theory of crisis analysis, but the strength of the tool is put
into practical terms when the crisis leadership strategies are applied to the
model. The strategies represent the prescriptive portion of this paper. Knowing
were an organization is in a crisis is not helpful unless a leader also knows
how to manage this new reality.
To help navigate a crisis, this paper also addressed appropriate actions
or strategies that leaders may chose to pursue in each of the three phases of a
crisis. These strategies are not necessarily exclusive to a particular phase
and in fact may span several phases of crisis. The crisis leadership strategies
were developed by gleaning the most consistently effective actions leaders have
used to successfully navigate through crisis.
There are seven essential strategies that leaders must apply to
successfully lead organizations through crisis.
1. Lead from the
Front
2. Focus on the Core
Purpose
3. Build the Team
4. Conduct Continuous
Planning
5. Mitigate the
Threat
6. Tell the Story
7. Profit from the
Crisis
Our Leader's Strategies were developed by reviewing the existing body of
research and identifying successful strategies from historical crisis
situations. Not every strategy is equally applicable to each crisis; the
strength of the strategy varies with the crisis. Similarly, a strategy is not
confined to use during a specific phase in the crisis life cycle model. A
strategy may fall squarely in one phase of a crisis, or it may span several or
all phases of a crisis.
Each strategy can be viewed as an arrow in the quiver of crisis
leadership, the strategies show that it is not important to hit a bull's eye
with each arrow; however it is important that each strategy hits the target in
some fashion.
Finally, in developing and reviewing each of these strategies, we
applied them to specific historical corporate and civil sector crisis
situations. This application helped to validate the theory and the prescribed
actions. The leader in each case successfully implemented some or all of the
seven strategies
We believe that every crisis situation is unique and therefore it is
impossible to develop a checklist that can be universally applied. However, the
theory and strategies addressed in this paper may serve leaders well, if used
to think about were their organization may be in the life cycle of a crisis and
the appropriate strategies to be employed to meet their unique challenges.
Key Thoughts for Crisis
Leadership
(A) UNDERSTANDING CRISIS
Conflict, and its subset crisis, is an indelible part of the human condition, and necessary for change and growth. It applies to all systems universally, whether personal, social, organizational, or national.
Conflict, and its subset crisis, is an indelible part of the human condition, and necessary for change and growth. It applies to all systems universally, whether personal, social, organizational, or national.
Because we live in a more complex, interconnected, and interdependent
world, crisis is more prevalent than ever before. For this reason, it is
critical that we understand why crisis represents both danger and opportunity.
People wrongly believe that crisis is a random, cataclysmic event that
can strike without warning. Although "acts of God" sometimes happen,
more than likely crisis occurs when an organization's values, beliefs, culture,
or behaviors become misaligned with its operating environment. Until they are
realigned, crisis will continue ... perhaps indefinitely.
Unexpectedly, almost every crisis is preceded by signals and tremors.
Leaders who are listening or are "in-tune" with them may mitigate or
avert crises.
During the preparation phase, adaptation or change is difficult if not
impossible because organizations prefer equilibrium and the status quo. Leaders
struggle to get their organizations to accept change because of the loss and
pain that accompanies it.
During the emergency phase, leaders have a "small window of
opportunity" to decrease the organization's level of disequilibrium in
order to mitigate the threat. This is accomplished by decisive leadership,
understanding the organization's core purpose, empathetic communication, and
other "technical remedies."
The adaptive phase begins when the threat has been stabilized. At this
point, leaders must focus the urgency and attention on the underlying causes of
the crisis. If the organization returns to its original equilibrium (status
quo), the leader will be unable to solve underlying issues and crisis is likely
to return.
1. LEAD FROM THE FRONT
During periods of crisis, people defer to a strong leader who is visible, poised, courageous, committed, and attentive. Organizations under crisis want leaders who provide assurance, direction, and inspiration. Leaders must be careful not to get so caught up in the action that they lose their perspective and wisdom; this may be referred to as "leaving the dance floor to get on the balcony."
During periods of crisis, people defer to a strong leader who is visible, poised, courageous, committed, and attentive. Organizations under crisis want leaders who provide assurance, direction, and inspiration. Leaders must be careful not to get so caught up in the action that they lose their perspective and wisdom; this may be referred to as "leaving the dance floor to get on the balcony."
2. FOCUS ON THE CORE PURPOSE
People who understand their core purpose can weather any storm. Successful leaders understand their organization's core purpose. Organization's that succeed during crisis rely on their values, based upon their core purpose, as the foundation for every action and decision.
People who understand their core purpose can weather any storm. Successful leaders understand their organization's core purpose. Organization's that succeed during crisis rely on their values, based upon their core purpose, as the foundation for every action and decision.
Leaders must ensure their organization's values, beliefs, and actions
remain aligned with its core purpose and environmental reality. Once
misaligned, a leader's primary job is to realign them. This adaptation may be
extremely difficult, often causing organizational disequilibrium, loss, and
pain.
Leaders must communicate their vision, grounded in the organization's
core purpose, to help reduce anxiety and ensure long-term organizational
stability and security.
3. BUILD THE TEAM
No leader is smart enough to single handedly solve all the challenges an organization encounters when in crisis. He must build teams inside, across, and outside his organization.
No leader is smart enough to single handedly solve all the challenges an organization encounters when in crisis. He must build teams inside, across, and outside his organization.
Personal relationships are the building blocks of all teams. A leader
must continuously nurture his personal relationships to develop a shared
identity or bond with every team member. It is this bond that keeps a team
member engaged and committed when faced with danger or the impulse to flee.
A leader should also promote trust and understanding and foster an open
and forgiving environment. He must provide feedback to his people.
Leaders must not forget the "external" stakeholders to the
organization. If they feel a sense of connectedness and shared identity, they
will be willing to support and sacrifice on behalf of the team.
4. CONDUCT CONTINUOUS
PLANNING
To deal with the ever present crisis potential, leaders must conduct contingency planning, making as many decisions before the crisis as possible. Continuous planning begins by identifying the major categories of risk and prioritizing them with their probability of occurrence.
To deal with the ever present crisis potential, leaders must conduct contingency planning, making as many decisions before the crisis as possible. Continuous planning begins by identifying the major categories of risk and prioritizing them with their probability of occurrence.
Every crisis sends out a trail of early warning signals. A leader must
ensure that the organization is "tuned-in" to these signals. Leaders
must ensure their organizations have a detailed crisis action plan which
identifies the members, facilities, and actions to be conducted during a
crisis. The leader must then test the plan under realistic and demanding
conditions.
5. MITIGATE THE THREAT
When a crisis presents itself, leaders must take decisive action to facilitate damage control and move the crisis out of danger. People will feel that the danger is retreating when they see the leader is paying attention. People want to see their leaders during a crisis. The leader must be physically on the scene as soon as possible. It gives him the opportunity to embrace his central leadership role, capture the initiative, seize power and take control.
When a crisis presents itself, leaders must take decisive action to facilitate damage control and move the crisis out of danger. People will feel that the danger is retreating when they see the leader is paying attention. People want to see their leaders during a crisis. The leader must be physically on the scene as soon as possible. It gives him the opportunity to embrace his central leadership role, capture the initiative, seize power and take control.
During a crisis, a leader should consult with experts and focus on
fresh, critical thought; but be constantly vigilant that conventional wisdom
may be what allowed the crisis to unfold.
6. TELL THE STORY
If a leader can communicate effectively, he can help frame, if not control, the story. Failing to communicate quickly may result in negative and unanticipated long-term consequences. Rapid, honest, and transparent communication often limits long-term media scrutiny.
If a leader can communicate effectively, he can help frame, if not control, the story. Failing to communicate quickly may result in negative and unanticipated long-term consequences. Rapid, honest, and transparent communication often limits long-term media scrutiny.
The correct spokesperson is critical to communication effectiveness. The
spokesperson must display poise and discipline. Whenever possible, it should be
a identifiable leader, usually the CEO. The leader's message must reduce fear
and contain empathy for the victims. The message should remain grounded in the
organization's core purpose and values.
7. PROFIT FROM THE CRISIS
As soon as the danger is averted, the leader must declare the crisis over. The longer a crisis drags on, the more likely people will associate trouble and conflict with the organization.
As soon as the danger is averted, the leader must declare the crisis over. The longer a crisis drags on, the more likely people will associate trouble and conflict with the organization.
Leaders should ensure that lessons from the crisis are documented and
resolutions are implemented.
Finally, leaders should avoid the temptation to return the organization
to the status-quo. He must take advantage of the urgency and attention to
address the underlying issues that caused the crisis in the first place.
