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One of my clients asked me and interesting question recently, and it led to some insightful and, at times, rather humorous discussion.  "Can a crisis leader be trained, or are they born that way?"  This is just my 2 cents…. 

First, know that there is a clear distinction between a crisis leader (who develops strategy) and a crisis manager (who implement those strategies).  Crisis managers can be trained, for sure.  A crisis leader?  Not so much, but probably not for the reasons you think. 

On the surface, the qualities that make a good crisis leader seem obvious

·         Someone who can address the immediate concerns, while anticipating future needs

·         Someone who is willing and able to make decisions

·         Someone who can inspire others to action 

But in my experience in working with clients during a crisis, in being an officer on a fire department and in working as an EMT during medical emergencies, I have witnessed some more subtle qualities of a “great” crisis leadership I want to share with you.   This will be a multi-part musing... 

Quiet the Noise

Anyone who has gone through an emergency knows that information is coming at you hard and fast, with little to no filtering - people hammering you with questions, running off in their own direction with their own plan…  The circumstance itself makes solid thinking and decision making very difficult. 

So, the first (and arguably) the most important quality of a great crisis leader is someone who has the ability to quiet the noise around them and evaluate the crisis (and resulting impact) for what it really is, instead of what it appears to be on the surface - to reach what Eckhart Tolle refers to as, a “state of presence”.  A state of presence during a disaster means you exist in the moment, you evaluate the impact, and you try to understand the truth of the situation as it exists at that point in time.  Developing a state of presence during an emergency is NOT just reacting to the "I want, I need, I gotta have it now" buzzing around your head (and yes, that will happen...).   

I can assure you, no true “leading” is occurring when your recovery effort is off on 10 tangents at once, responding to differing priorities or greasing the “squeaky wheels” who scream the loudest (and yes, that will happen too).  On the surface it may look like action is being taken, when in fact the action is often in exact opposition to what others are doing.   The net result can result in no forward action at all. 

So first, a true crisis leader must be able to quiet the noise and bustle around them in order to evaluate the situation for what it is, develop a cohesive plan to address the result or impact of the emergency as it presents itself and then get everyone moving in the same direction. 

Oh, and a big stick and a bull horn doesn’t hurt either…   Stay tuned for Part Two – The Making of a a Great Crisis Leader – How to Think Through an Emergency