Crisis management has a well-developed script to follow and most leaders in large organizations are prepared should its use be necessary. They understand the unique risks their market, operations, or locations might pose and are ready to address an accident, a cybersecurity breach, or a hurricane that interrupts business as usual. The script, in unpolished summary form, goes like this:
- Have a crisis management plan that includes a predetermined crisis team and established relationships with experts in areas in which your company is at risk;
- Be quick with a factual response, the steps being taken, and where people can go for informational updates;
- Provide reliable public information through a spokesperson, assist people in need, and listen to the concerns of the community; and
- Announce when the crisis has ended and what is being done to avert similar events in the future.
Handled in a sensitive and empathetic way, most leaders are equipped to work through crises in a way that is responsive to the needs of the public and limits the reputational harm to the organization.
This crisis, however, is unlike any other. It presents issues that are far beyond the scope of even the most anticipated crises and illustrates some of the more demanding aspects of leadership. More so than in any previous economic, social, or political circumstances, in our current situation if leaders fail to act quickly, events will snowball, overwhelming the organization and surpassing its ability to respond. This applies from families and schools to companies and governments. The very best examples of leadership imagine a future before it has crystallized, and react decisively with facts and courage.
Why, then, can some meet the challenge, yet many cannot? I can think of two primary reasons other than vision why most people do not act soon enough or smartly. First, acts of commission are psychologically weightier than acts of omission. In other words, we often find those who act to be more blameworthy than those who do nothing. Therefore, doing nothing is often seen as preferable to doing something possibly questionable under conditions of uncertainty. And, second, we often don’t understand or appreciate which “mistake” is the best one to make when there are options (including doing nothing) and no clear path forward. Too often the default position is a senseless continuation down the most familiar path. We see possibilities in the familiar and fail to recognize the potential for monumental losses.
The kinds of changes that are being demanded today are disruptive, painful, and the ultimate results are unknown. They range from deciding to shut down a country/state/city before widespread viral infection has taken root, asking parents working from home to take on their child’s education, or making a choice to furlough employees in order to preserve cash yet maintain healthcare benefits. The common denominator is that there are many circumstances in which leaders must take action before the need to act becomes evident, else risk being too far behind and having insufficient resources to catch up, remedy a problem, etc. once the certainty of hindsight is known. These decisions are not for the faint-hearted. We need visionaries with imagination and boldness to show us the way, even without a script.