Thermoforming Report

Crisis: What NOT to Do

“Six Things Leaders Should Never Do in a Crisis”, 9/18/24, by Steven L. Blue

We included a link to the above article in October’s Thermoforming Report. The author, Steven L. Blue, a 25-year CEO, referenced the various crises he endured as a leader: 9/11 and the aftermath, the “Great Recession” of 2008, the industrial recession of 2016, and “the mother of all crises” (as he called it) – the pandemic of 2020. These were the biggies… but there were small ones scattered throughout as well. 

In the article, Mr. Blue highlighted what he learned from his experience and perspective. It resonated with me, and I wanted to add my own spin to it.  Sometimes it’s wise to leverage other’s experiences and work to apply them to your own world. So, here are my thoughts!

Lesson 1

Never tell your people that you do not know how to handle the crisis. “You must exude confidence in your ability to deal with the crisis. If you don’t, people will get scared. Even if you don’t know exactly what to do, pretend that you do. That may seem disingenuous, but just remember, people won’t follow a leader who doesn’t have a clue. So don’t act like you don’t.”

My Thoughts: My first inclination is that confidence is good… but over-confidence will bite you in the butt. However, his idea – and first-hand experience – points to the critical need to provide a level of comfort to your team because they know you’ve got things under control… even though you don’t. A key concept to be sure!

Lesson 2

Never drag your feet or equivocate over what to do. “You must move quickly because the crisis will only get worse the longer you fail to act. The longer you fail to act, the more anxiety your employees will feel. And anxiety equals loss of productivity and turnover.”

My Thoughts: This is tough for some leaders! Having the right information to make the right decision is critical… but being decisive and acting quickly with the information you have is obviously of major importance as well. And his point is that delay exacerbates the situation. There will be time to reflect and adjust, but a failure to move forward with haste has compounding impacts.

Lesson 3

Never forget that your team feels the crisis a lot more than you do. “That is because they do not have as complete a picture as you do of what the problem is and how to fix it. They feel a lack of control during a crisis, which leads to more anxiety.”

My Thoughts: Yes! We’ve all felt this at times in our career when we weren’t the one in charge. As humans, the unknown is scary. “Uncertainty can intensify how threatening a situation feels,” says Ema Tanovic, a psychologist with the Boston Consulting Group in Philadelphia, who has also researched the consequences of uncertainty at Yale University [from “Why We’re so Terrified of the Unknown,” Oct 2021, BBC]. Acknowledge their anxiety and do your best to address it quickly.

Lesson 4

Never think your team doesn’t need or want constant communication about the state of the crisis. “When people lack information, they make things up. What they make up is never good. People tend to imagine the worst when you don’t give them the facts and the action plan. More communication in a crisis is always better than less.”

My Thoughts: I absolutely agree! I’ve learned in my own experiences as a leader that being open and providing information is critical to keeping the collective morale up.  The same article cited above in #3 highlighted a study about knowing immediately or waiting. It proves this point: Knowing is important, which means communication by the leader is important!

Lesson 5

Never think your team cannot productively contribute to the solution in a crisis. “Seek their views, often and early. People closer to the ground always see things you don’t.”

My Thoughts: Yep! There is a reason that strong organizations tend to have cultures where leaders invest time on the manufacturing floor – leaders are tuned into the realities that exist in the day to day. The insight you gain from your front-line team members is critical!

Lesson 6

Never fail to recognize and reward people who go above and beyond in a crisis. “Some people will step up more than others. Those that step up should be recognized and rewarded for their efforts. You may be surprised at who rises to the top. These are your superstars and should be considered for future promotions.”

My Thoughts: When people are given the opportunity – or forced into it based on circumstances – and they respond well, take notice. You may be surprised by hidden leaders that just hadn’t had the chance to demonstrate their abilities, and they may not have even been aware of it themselves! So, keep your eyes out for these all-stars!

Wrapping Up

As the CEO stated, “the next crisis is on the way so plan for it“.  With the election behind us, uncertainty remains. How will the country respond? What about the world? Though there are things we are not able to control, they obviously will still impact us in ways that we are not able to predict.  Plan, learn, adapt, and push forward.

Another great article that digs into this in a lot more detail is worth the read: “How to Lead When the Future Feels Unpredictable,” HBR, Nov 2024. The authors describe “liminal experiences – a prolonged separation from normal ways of being and doing. They represent a break from the familiar, but they don’t fully replace it.” To survive these uncertain periods of feeling suspended between what once was and what is yet to come – and grow through them – they recommend ‘asking the big questions’ and then to ‘focus on the fundamentals.’ Take a few minutes to read this one!

People are resilient. How we act and react in the moment is heavily influenced by our leaders. Great leaders help us to quickly adapt, work together to create new paths, and forge a brighter future beyond whatever the current crisis throws at us… and enables us to overcome the next one. And those leaders can come from anywhere and from anyone on the team!

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