How to Lead Through a Crisis
May 18, 2020 – While business leaders have years of experience managing and leading teams, the recent Odgers Berndtson Leadership Confidence Index revealed that 85 percent of senior leaders lack confidence in their leadership’s ability to manage disruption effectively. The index, in conjunction with Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, is not only timely but has exposed a real weakness for organizations across the globe going into a highly disruptive period.
One of the biggest barriers to managing disruption is a resistance to change, according to a new report co-authored by Ali Palmer, partner and head of the consumer and telecoms practice at Odgers Interim, and Dominick Sutton, chief data officer of BoardEx.
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“In the index, there was a sweeping consensus among senior executives that there is a lack of collective vision which in turn has resulted in difficulty getting the all-important ‘buy-in’ and engagement from the extended leadership team and the broader organizational structure,” the authors said. “Widespread collaboration from colleagues of all levels facilitates continuous evolution of the organization, but without this there is an inability to be agile, to operate at pace, or to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances. From what we have seen in this current example of disruption, it’s clear that the most successful organizations are those that have been able to leverage agility for a seamless transition to remote working, to pivot their business model or to modify their business planning in the short, medium and long-term.”
Ms. Palmer and Mr. Sutton also said that to overcome this barrier to change, senior leaders must establish more open and consistent communication in tandem with fostering collaboration. “Transparency is achieved by loosening the top-down approach to allow for more comprehensive engagement in organizational decision-making and empowering staff to be involved in change,” they said. “This will be a challenge for senior leaders as they grapple with new managerial options for less direct control and oversight of their team. It is a change that needs to be immediate, but a culture change usually requires an evolution over an elongated period of time. Business leaders need to be able to ease their teams into the new expectations and be conscious that such a change cannot happen overnight; there needs to be a nurturing period (albeit shorter than usual).”
Business-Critical Decision-Making
The business-critical decision-making that takes place during disruption is what drives an organization and sets the pace for adaptation. “However, this is contingent on strong team cohesion and trust in the leader to make the right informed decisions,” Ms. Palmer and Mr. Sutton said. “The leader has to be well-versed in transformation through uncertainty, as well as visionary. It is critical to plan for how the organization will adapt in the face of economic change in order to not only survive disruption but to come out of it in a better position than ever before. This requires the right balance of ambition and pragmatism achieved through an understanding of situations, their impact and their potential.”
Related: Companies Planning Big Comeback Post-Pandemic Crisis
The report also said that a critical focus of leaders to foster the adaptation required to lead through disruption is not the infrastructure and systems, but the people. “Across the organization, there needs to be strong, efficient and effective teams of people working as a collective to face the next waves of disruption,” the study said. “Senior management should be using this time to reflect on their current state and the strength of their team, taking into consideration their new needs and if they have the talent with the capability to thrive in the new market.”
Executive Recruiters Roll Up Their Sleeves as COVID-19 Crisis Unfolds
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on every business sector, executive recruiting included. Kenneth Vancini of Innova International brings us the latest thinking after convening recent conference calls with 23 leaders from search firms across the country. Also, we have the initial results from the latest Hunt Scanlon Media ‘Pulse Survey’ of leading U.S. recruiters and fresh insight from Thrive. It’s a full docket!
This focus on people is not restricted to the internal organization. “Relationships with the external network of stakeholders, including customers, suppliers (including suppliers of capital), regulators and advisors must also be maintained and strengthened,” Ms. Palmer and Mr. Sutton said. “Any adjustment has to include steps to maintain and increase the resilience of the firm’s external relationship network. At times of business stress, these relationships can often prove to be a vital asset in determining the success or failure of any change of strategy, tactics or execution. This means that a balance may have to be struck between a policy to increase agility and one that maintains the critical relationships needed to weather the crisis and to build for the future.”
Relationship Network
One problem is that the relationship network is often poorly understood, inadequately mapped and undervalued, even at the leadership level. “Care must, therefore, be taken that any changes made to adapt for the new circumstances also increase (or, at the worst, do not reduce) network resilience,” the report said. “Management should reflect on their critical external relationships, identifying those that could be affected by any change as well as detecting gaps that may need strengthening.”
Related: Crisis Management: Leading in Times of Great Uncertainty
“The right team needs to be in place and prepared for the subsequent ups and downs presented as we navigate through the fallout and the adjustments to the new normal as the market settles,” Ms. Palmer and Mr. Sutton said. “The changes organizations are going through are momentous and may require extra support to manage the situation at hand. Calling upon a highly-skilled interim executive who is well-versed in navigating disruption and managing organizations through difficulty can bring a new skill-set to the leadership of an organization and strengthen governance,” they said. “An external, fresh pair of eyes facilitates a new perspective on the situation and their expertise in planning, managing, and executing recovery or growth plans is an invaluable asset for weathering this current storm. They may also immediately address any critical gaps identified in the relationship network review.”
This is an uncertain and unprecedented time as the pandemic continues to spread and cause economic disorder. “Across the globe, organizations need strong leadership to guide their teams through the unsettled landscape with informed long-term and short-term decision-making,” said Ms. Palmer and Mr. Sutton. More than ever, having a cohesive unified team communicating transparently is mission-critical for the immediate needs of the company. But it is clear there must be strong strides towards future-proofing for the imminent repercussions and the new normal now being cultivated.”
Related: The Future of Work and the Workforce in the Post-Pandemic Era
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
