This Is Not Normal: Leading Through Crisis
Normal? There is nothing normal about being in a crisis. Think about it. Every underpinning of life seems to have been stripped away as unanticipated events spiral out of control. The daily routine that provided comfort, gone. And then, the endless whirlwind of uncertainty – what if, what now, what’s next?
A crisis can come in many forms. Loss of a job. A new diagnosis. Death of a family member. A natural disaster. Cancer. Or as in our current scenario – the coronavirus. Not only has it disrupted our routine, it disrupted life.
In a crisis - how do you respond?
When disaster stretches from days to weeks, do you spend more time looking back at what was (hoping to return to ‘normal’) – rather than embracing the moment or looking ahead? In doing so, are you falsely elevating the past due to current dismay and the uncertainty of the future? Was that previous routine really that good – or just what was known? How often when faced with crisis, when fear settles in, do we reach for what is familiar? It seems to me; we crave for what we know.
As you reflect, what will it take for you to embrace this simple truth:
This is not normal.
Life will never be the same again.
What about with how we lead? How often when faced with difficult situations, outside of our normal, do we take a step back in our ability to lead?
Things were going well, you were leading with confidence, inspiring your team to new heights and seeing consistent growth. Now everything is different. Fear surrounds the future. Uncertainty blankets inspiration. And in this time, you revert to leading like you did during your last crisis – forgetting all the attributes developed since then.
Why are you leading from the past?
As leaders, when faced with a crisis, studies suggest that many regress to what is familiar – what was tested (whether successful or not) or most comfortable. Our mind often idealizes our past experiences – and we move back in time – often without realizing it. Whether a maladaptive behavior (as we see often in social situations) or a perceived place of refuge from the storm such an unconscious shift can be devastating. It becomes a time where you give in to the circumstance, rather than facing the day and looking ahead.
In 1964, Admiral James Stockdale was shot down during the Vietnam War’s Gulf of Tonkin incident. He became the highest-ranking United States military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the height of the Vietnam War. Tortured over twenty times during his eight-year imprisonment (1965-73), Stockdale lived in crisis daily without any prisoner’s rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again. As a prisoner, he didn’t cower as the leading officer, rather, he shouldered the burden of command, doing everything he could to create conditions that would increase the number of prisoners who would survive unbroken, while fighting an internal war against his captors. Each day. Every day. Without a clear end in sight.
This was not normal.
When asked how he dealt with daily uncertainty – and no idea what the future held, he replied, “I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life…”
When asked about those that didn’t make it out, Stockdale replied, “The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart. This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end–-which you can never afford to lose–-with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Incredible insight – born from 8 years of imprisonment – a crisis repeated day after day after day.
In situations that are out of our control, when we are facing unparalleled chaos that requires very difficult decisions for yourself and your team, rather than reflect on what was the previous normal, why not ask yourself what do we need to do today? And what might the new normal look like? What was important before, may not longer be the case.
Remember: Crisis creates new priorities.
It’s not getting back to normal, but seeing or creating the new normal that really matters. It requires not just embracing the current challenges, but inspiring your team to look into the future state of your organization. What are the opportunities on the other side? How do you get there? What do you need to do to position yourself and your team for that success? And are you willing to step up to lead the way?
Getting there requires sacrifice.
In this current crisis, what are the opportunities that were never realized before? Does it require redirection? Does it require refinement?
When crisis hits, what matters most becomes apparent. It may highlight failures in your current habits. It may unearth the weaknesses in your leadership, your processes, and your team. And in a crisis, you must recognize that relationships matter – logic and intellect alone just won’t suffice.
This is not normal. It requires reordering your priorities – not maintaining normal but creating anew. It isn’t about conforming but about transforming how you lead and vision for your team or organization. Like Stocksdale, you need to shoulder the leadership role to give hope for your team to remain unbroken for the future, while embracing the reality of today.
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end–-which you can never afford to lose–-with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Don’t try to be a normal leader, believe in transformation and flip the focus toward the future. Don’t resist the crisis, don’t make excuses – but embrace the crisis and lead through change. Inspire your team to grind it out by giving insight, direction and embracing the new normal. Leading companies will emerge from a crisis with empowered motivation to refine and rebalance. Will you?
#LeadWithPassion Questions:
What are the challenges you face today?
What are possible opportunities of tomorrow?
Identify 2 things this week that you need to do each day that will position you well for future success… and get started.