Growing as a leader in times of crisis
Summary:
Leaders have the opportunity to grow during times of crisis
Significant growth comes from our experiences
The best way to leverage these times of growth is to anticipate what we can learn and then reflect on our insights
Leading in times of crisis can be extraordinarily stressful and demanding. So, is there an upside for leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic?
There is. If they see it as an opportunity to grow.
There is significant evidence that tells us leaders grow from their experiences. In fact, leaders’ most formative insights come from challenging assignments, relationships with other people with whom they work and the adversity they face.
There’s no denying that a pandemic is a time of hardship, not just in our personal lives but at work as well. But within this hardship is an opportunity for every leader to see this time as an opportunity for growth and lean into that challenge.
The question then becomes: How can leaders best learn from this challenging time?
There are two activities that are critical to helping leaders realize the benefits of any developmental activity: anticipation and reflection. And they can be especially useful when leaders consider how they can best grow from this experience.
Let’s start with anticipation.
Anticipate what you hope to learn. Go into this experience with an open mind but also a specific curiosity about a topic that would benefit you. Anticipating what we can learn focuses our efforts and brings our attention to the possibilities for growth.
Think about the opportunities that might exist for you and how the current situation could offer you the chance to stretch yourself and try new skills.
Do you want to become even more effective at managing your energy? Would you benefit from having more productive challenging conversations? How would your team improve if you found new ways to engage and inspire them? How can you better articulate a vision for the future in times of ambiguity? Tell me a little about your background (education, career, special training or certifications.)
And then reflect.
Reflect along the way. What are you learning? What is going well? What has been most challenging? Where could you use some support or a feedback partner? And ultimately, where will you be able to apply the lessons you’ve learned in the future so you can take action?
Unsurprisingly, many leaders with whom I work spent some of our time in recent months discussing the topic of leading during a crisis. One example is a client who was recently promoted to lead a large (suddenly virtual) team and finds the situation to have a number of challenges she hasn’t faced before.
We spent time on anticipation: making a list of the biggest obstacles in front of her and connecting them to the areas in which she would like to grow as a leader. After we finished this activity, she told me that those obstacles would still be there, but now they seemed more like opportunities that could move her forward.
And every week, we reflect together on what she is learning and how it will make her an even better leader.
Leadership is forged in times of crisis. When we look back at this time, we will be remembered for how we managed ourselves and how we interacted with others during this crisis. We will be able to see who led others well, who made great decisions and who inspired their followers towards a visionary future.
This time is challenging, but it’s also an opportunity for growth if we look at it that way.
We can see crises as opportunities to grow instead of retreat. Anticipation and reflection can help us get the most out of these experiences.
References:
1. Koehn, N.F. (2017). Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times. New York: Scribner.
2. McCall, M. W., Lombardo, M. M., & Morrison, A. M. (1988). The lessons of experience: How successful executives develop on the job. Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
A version of this article appeared in Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business Lead Read Today publication and can be found here: https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/blog/two-tools-to-help-leaders-grow-in-times-of-crisis-anticipation-and-reflection
Written by Bethany Klynn, PhD
Bethany Klynn is a consultant and executive coach who works with great companies to grow their leaders and transform their cultures.