LEADERSHIP IN
A CRISIS
Definition of crisis
• A crisis is a defining moment for an organization and its
leader as in a test of character and the quality of a
leader.
• A single moment that stop every event.
• The characteristic of a crisis:
• unforeseen problems
• Complex
• Cause a wide-ranged devastation
Integrated leadership
• Leading self (personal leadership)
• Leading others
• Leading organization
THREE PHASES OF
LEADERSHIP:
• PRE CRISIS
• Pre-crisis plan (learn about it post crisis)
→ Planning / strategizing
• Decentralized communication channel
• Organizational culture (clear values, appreciate
information/voices from everywhere)
• DURING CRISIS
• POST CRISIS
THREE PHASES OF
LEADERSHIP:
• PRE CRISIS
• DURING CRISIS
• Personal leadership
• Empowering leadership (provides psychological safety / involving
members to feel secure and protected) → need communication skill
• Relaxed hierarchy
• Evoked network (to get information and help from others)
• Focus on (1) Crisis task force; (2) the front liners
• POST CRISIS
THREE PHASES OF
LEADERSHIP:
• PRE CRISIS
• DURING CRISIS
• POST CRISIS
• Able to learn: about the organization’s capacity, about the
relationship among team, about each others’ strengths.
• Repair strained relationship.
IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
CHARACTERISTICS
• Integrity / Unconditional honesty (positive impression
but not sugar coating)
• Humility (un-ability to predict, appreciate information
from anywhere, willing to admit mistakes; can’t
overcome the crisis alone).
• Self control (do not panic, and spread positive vibe).
IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
CHARACTERISTICS
• Compassionate: (show and express concerns for
people by concerning their troubles matter more
than those of the organization).
• Action oriented (take actions even though there is
not enough information)
• Ability to learn (correct any mistakes, move on).
IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
SKILL
• Communication skill
• Build a sense that leader and employees are part of the same
team. The key point is the use of: “We” (you and I).
• Build a sense of “we’re all in this together”. Build an environment
in which there would be a spirit of unity with common values and
goals.
• Invoke a sense of cooperation in the organization to survive in
times of crisis and achieve a greater goal.
• Communicate the end game (inspire, set goals).
• Willing to listen and be supportive
IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
SKILL
• Communication skill
• Communicate more frequently
• Use many kind of communication tools (newsletter, social media,
video, e-town hall meeting, etc)
• Communicate what actions that have been done and the results
(positive or negative).
• Showing vulnerability (to show that they too have emotions), but able
to bounce back (resilient)
• Report the situation as it is (do not minimize the problem) but provides
hope.
• Communicate how members of the organization should make sense of
the crisis. → educating followers
E.g., a start up that loses its profit.
• → Relational perspective
IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
SKILL
• Delegation skill
• Crisis task-force
• Task distributions
IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP
SKILL
• Self control
• Stable / the anchor / the representative (the face) or the
organization
• Be present at the moment
• Avoid the blame game.
