Leading in times of crisis
The 12-point strategic checklist for leaders and organizations
1. Situational awareness
Act on the basis of facts, not wishful thinking. See and understand the big picture. Be open and honest about what is really happening in and around your organization.
2. Values and purpose
Keep societal benefits central to the long-term “Why” – the purpose of your organization. Make it clearly understood and shared by all within the organization.
3. Trust
Make trust essential in all work relationships to build efficient and effective operations. Trust your employees to ‘do the right thing’ to their best ability, even during hard times.
4. Communication
Be honest and transparent. Make dialogue channels simple and open to all staff. Focus on persevering together. Show clear and actionable directions towards a compelling future to inspire hope.
5. Collaboration
Equip your employees with skills and tools to connect, think and work together. Embrace agile teams and flexible networks to allow free flow of knowledge. Stay in touch with your stakeholders and be open to learning from each other.
6. Empathy
Put people first. Understand the individual circumstances of your employees, their strengths and the things that inspire them. Be present, listen actively and show that you care.
7. Diversity and inclusion
Build your organizational reputation on fair conditions and equal opportunities for employees. Respect their uniqueness and individual differences.
8. Ability to prioritize and focus
Empower your employees to focus on what’s most important. Make sure actions are values-based. Enable employees to optimize their work, and minimize non-essential actions.
9. Inclusive decision-making
Engage your employees in organizational decisions. Encourage them to take initiative. Empower them to create innovative and actionable solutions together.
10. Courage and risk-taking
Act decisively at critical junctures. Support brave initiatives that put your organization “ahead of the curve”.
11. Adaptability & flexibility
Make work processes flexible to enable quick adaptation to changing demands. Create a safe space to experiment, fail and learn.
12. Ability to prioritize and focus
Enable your employees to envision a next chapter for the organization. See and share opportunities, and empower your staff to act on them. Celebrate successes together.