^“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Introduction

When things are progressing well, we focused so much on the progress that we overlook an ineffective leader. In fact, most times we give the leaders credit for the progress when in fact they may have little or anything to do with it. Therefore, we can conclude that you can have a poor leader when things are going well but recognize them as great because of the success and progress that is taking place. On the other hand, you can have a great leader when things are in a crisis state but because things look so bad and our focused is on the ugly things associated with the crisis, the leader maybe consider ineffective when in fact that leader may very well be great and effective.

It is not easy leading in times of crisis and at some point, all of us have faced crisis in our lives. Of course, we have never seen anything like this COVID 19 crisis. However, some people are facing crisis in their marriage and family. Some people are facing crisis in their health. Some people are facing crisis in their financial state.  Some people are facing crisis in leading in the workplace.

Sometimes this crisis is just too extensive and hard to handle, and we failed leading during our crisis. Perhaps that is why some marriages failed, maybe that is why our health deteriorated and maybe that is why some people find themselves in a bankrupt state.

Before I proceed, let me congratulate the Government and Cabinet particularly our Premier and the Governor on their efforts in leading the country during this time of crisis.

Here are some tips for leading in times of crisis.

Don’t be scare. Be calm.

In times of crisis, we need to be calm. Even if you are afraid within, do not show that you are afraid. Try your best to be calm and remember that God did not give you a spirit of Fear. Remind yourself that being afraid will not help the situation as it may expand the crisis. If you are a leader and you are afraid then imagine that your followers or partners will be afraid too.

Be honest

In times of crisis, tell the truth. Do not lie about the situation. If you do, the truth will eventually come out and you will not be trusted. The truth may hurt but it is better to tell the truth than to cover up.

Connect with experts

In times of crisis, we need to get help preferably from experts. The experts can guide you and offer valuable information, information you perhaps never thought about.  Therefore, do not be afraid to ask for help especially if you are in crisis that you never encounter before.  You may have difference with individuals who can offer help but during crisis, it is time to put aside difference and embrace the right people who can help.

Be decisive and act

In times of crisis, be decisive. Don’t be wishy washy as you may mislead your followers or your partners. You may not be able to please everyone but in a crisis, you can’t be procrastinating or waiting to see what others are doing. Just make a decision.

Communicate as much as possible

During times of crisis, the rumour mill is so high. Many times, people are making their own assessments especially if they do not hear form the relevant people. Communicate as much as possible even it if means multiple times a day.

Conclusion

Leading in times of crisis requires one to be strong and not to be afraid.  You can achieve this by having faith and knowing that God is on your side. Remember God will never leave you nor forsake you.

Being in a crisis is a great opportunity to display your leadership ability. While no one wants to have crisis, having crisis from time to time can be great payoff for leaders. Leaders can be performing very poorly prior to a crisis and if they react effectively and properly, followers and partners may forget about the past and focused solely on the leader’s performance during a crisis.