My two cents on LEADERSHIP today:
As a leader, successfully navigating crises demands adaptability, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to supporting teams through adversity. Whether in law enforcement or industries like tech, biotechnology, or manufacturing, the fundamental principles of leadership remain universal.
When confronted with a crisis, consider it akin to tending to a patient and monitoring their vital signs. Any disruption to these essential functions could potentially escalate into a life-threatening situation. Similarly, as a leader managing a crisis, the primary goal is to preserve stability and minimize losses whenever feasible.
To effectively address a crisis, it's crucial to strike a balance between "Being" and "Doing" – integrating both your internal qualities with external actions as a leader. This holistic approach ensures a comprehensive and resilient response to the challenges at hand.
Let me take you back to March 2020.
COVID 19 – That’s right.
What a catastrophic crisis. We were all confined to our homes for extended periods, instilling fear of death with no positive outlook. Confusion and anxiety became pervasive, and our usual coping mechanisms failed us. We felt confused, anxious, vulnerable, afraid, angry, guilty, hopeless, and helpless. In crises our ability to find immediate solutions is challenged and impacting our psychological safety and trust. We all were in a survival mode.
Like many other countries, Israel responded to the pandemic with similar urgency. The Police force, being at the forefront of emergency response, needed to snap out of the survival mode ASAP. When it comes to Fight vs. Flight, the Fight wins, and they boldly face their constantly changing reality. A crisis disrupts the normal flow of constant change. And this one is challenging.
As a Chief Inspector and Organizational Consultant in the Tel Aviv district during this time, my role was to provide constant guidance to leaders dealing with a pile of challenges. This involved communicating the frontline realities and coping mechanisms to top leadership, supporting newly appointed officers in their managerial transformations, and designing strategies to uphold organizational strength and resilience. The scale of challenges faced by the Police force mirrored those encountered by law enforcement agencies worldwide during the pandemic.
Supporting new officers during the crisis was critical due to their frontline position, managing approximately 80% of the force on the streets. Additionally, providing support to their direct managers was essential to prevent bottleneck situations.
Some of the main challenges faced by new (and existing) Police officers during COVID-19 included:
1. Transitioning from Survival to Action mode: Rapidly pivoting large organizations poses a challenge, necessitating the maintenance of professionalism while swiftly adopting new protocols.
2. Maintaining Morale, Resilience, and Mental Health: Ensuring the well-being of the police force and their families amid the heightened stress and uncertainty of the pandemic at all levels. Resilience, a cornerstone for police officers, is continuously practiced and questioned during crises.
3. Managing Trust: Upholding trust both internally among colleagues and externally with the community, particularly during times of crisis when public trust is crucial for effective policing. This challenge is exacerbated by constant media appearance.
4. Managing Manpower Shortages: Coping with personnel shortages as officers fell ill or had to care for sick family members. Additionally, building new teams to address COVID-19 alongside ongoing crime prevention efforts adds complexity to manpower management.
5. Adapt to Virtual Operations: Navigating the transition to virtual communication and operations for the first time to maintain service continuity while adhering to public health guidelines presents a significant operational challenge for law enforcement agencies.
I know!
You may have come across the list of challenges and thought à "I had similar challenges as a leader.”
Recognizing these challenges, one may realize that managing crises is not unique to law enforcement but rather a universal challenge that transcends industries, sectors, and countries. Whether managing in law enforcement or tech/biotechnology/manufacturing companies, the principles of leadership remain universal. Being a manager who manages for the first-time is universal as well. As a leader, navigating crises requires adaptability, resilience, and a commitment to supporting teams through challenges.
How does Crises work?
As a Medic during my military service, the number one rule in taking care of a patient was to prioritize their vitals, ensuring that all critical systems such as heart rate, breathing, and consciousness were functioning properly. This was because any disturbance in these vital functions could potentially lead to a life-threatening crisis. Similarly, as a leader managing a crisis, the primary objective is to maintain normalcy and minimize losses wherever possible.
The first step will be to acknowledge a crisis is an option in every organization. Each crisis requires a tailored response strategy and effective leadership to mitigate risks, protect stakeholders, and ensure organizational resilience.
There are many types of potential crises you might know or even have a chance to experience; Financial crisis (bankruptcy, significant financial losses); Product Recall; Leadership Crisis (leadership misconduct, executive turnover); Natural Disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, floods); Workplace Violence and/or Harassment; Pandemic or Health Crisis (COVID-19 pandemic; Legal or Regulatory Compliance Issues; Supply Chain Disruption.
So, what to do when leading a crisis? Think about the “Being and Doing” model. This model suggests you find the balance between your internal qualities (your presence, authenticity, flexibility, values, empathy) and your external actions (communication, execution, strategic thinking).
Top Priorities for Effective Crisis Leadership:
1. Lead the Transition from Survival to Action mode:
· Prioritize urgent issues while maintaining normalcy and minimize losses. Professionalism and implementing new protocols are a key to success.
· Align actions with core values and mission, delegating tasks according to individual capabilities. Delegate and try not to micromanager.
· Conduct scenario planning and war games to prepare for potential challenges.
2. Communicate Effectively- Talk to your employees!
· Engage with employees regularly, providing clear and factual updates on the situation. Your employees are looking for your voice and reaction to the situation.
· Foster psychological safety and empathy by addressing concerns and sharing planned actions.
· Utilize both face-to-face and virtual communication channels to ensure everyone is informed. Use a calm voice and try to be positive.
3. Be Present and Flexible
· Share Humility and vulnerability, acknowledging that everyone is affected by the crisis.
· Adapt and remain flexible in response to changing circumstances and unexpected challenges. What works normally, doesn’t have to work during crises.
· Embrace conflict resolution while maintaining credibility and upholding organizational boundaries.
4. Strengthen Morale, Resilience, and Mental Health:
· Prioritize the safety and well-being of all stakeholders, taking decisive action to mitigate risks.
· Cultivate a shared commitment among employees to maintain normalcy and minimize losses.
· Enhance organizational trust and psychological safety through transparent communication and support mechanisms.
To conclude
As a leader, successfully navigating crises demands adaptability, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to supporting teams through adversity. The case study of the Israeli Police during the COVID-19 crisis illustrates the common challenges organizations encounter when confronted with such crises. Whether in law enforcement or industries like tech, biotechnology, or manufacturing, the fundamental principles of leadership remain universal.
When confronted with a crisis, consider it akin to tending to a patient and monitoring their vital signs. Any disruption to these essential functions could potentially escalate into a life-threatening situation. Similarly, as a leader managing a crisis, the primary goal is to preserve stability and minimize losses whenever feasible.
To effectively address a crisis, it's crucial to strike a balance between "Being" and "Doing" – integrating both internal qualities such as presence, authenticity, flexibility, values, and empathy, with external actions including communication, execution, and strategic thinking. This holistic approach ensures a comprehensive and resilient response to the challenges at hand.
Need help thinking it through? free to reach out!
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