Four keys for Leaders to during a crisis

In any crisis especially which has a significant component of uncertainty – people want leaders to provide the assurance, information, and path forward.

Key 1: Define Reality and Give Hope – People have a great appetite for raw truth; as a leader, give them information in a controlled manner to avoid panic and keep morale high. This control mechanism should be based on honesty and the continuous education of the people. People are always hungry about their prospects. News in a crisis is rarely good. A leader should possess art to outline the truth and framing as a challenge that can be tackled; not as a disaster but a step toward normalcy. A leader does not give a plan in crisis but hope, a path forward.

Key 2: Path forward - In a crisis that has a high level of uncertainty, any plan is bound to change significantly. This will create fear and chaos. Leaders should avoid giving plans; instead, provide a path forward with a repeated message emphasizing that the situation is fluid. This will help to prepare people for uncertainty.

Key 3: Be decisive – In a crisis, decisions need to be taken fast on the basis of incomplete information and half-cooked knowledge. Leaders should be ready for the post-crisis debate. Just remember, most of the decisions made during a crisis will look somewhat wrong because of hindsight bias. "No decision" cost is far higher than a decision in uncertain times because people may lose faith and courage.

Key 4: Remember that people want to be led – We all know in our gut, no group accomplishes much if no one is in charge. In a crisis, people need direction. In uncertain times people need a leader who can lead them. We need a leader who can do the things which a lot of people can’t do or willing to do because of the lack of information, presumptive power, and authority. A leader assumes part of the burden, so people can sleep peacefully (sic!) at night.

Even these keys are of limited value to any leader unless he/she has not built the credibility.

Leadership and Change

While surveying literature in organizational excellence, I notice a significant emphasis on reliance on leadership (a few persons as a noun not as an act or thought process) to bring a change in an organization. The whole organization looks toward select few who are in the position of authority due to appointment to bring in the change.  Everybody looking toward a few for the solution.

Does this culture smell a broken and rotten thought process? Do we have outsourced our thinking process to select few and become intellectually lazy? We need a ready-made solution. Someone else should do the thinking and analysis, we will just enjoy the fruit of success and/or become arm-chair critic during the change. Does excessive reliance on leadership is one of the manifestations of this phenomenon?

Or due to the complex nature and size of the organizations, few of the motivated people (generally in the position of authority) take charge of directing the course and even determining what the success is.

I think the truth lies in the combination of both arguments. What do you think? Are there any other arguments?