Faced with the current epidemic, now is not the time to panic, education and leadership matter more now than ever. Leaders don’t panic and those panicking can’t lead. The best thing a leader can do is remain calm and give people the facts and real solutions. Even if you don’t have all the answers right now, the fact that you are calm and making educated decisions will put others at ease. As a business owner, you need to lead by keeping your customers and employees from harms way as best as you can.
Communication is key. It is better to let people know that you are working on a solution rather then leave them to wonder if you are doing anything at all. Ask people to be patient and trust that you are researching and gathering facts so that you can make an informed decision. In times of crisis you will not always make the right choice but trying to do the right thing is better then doing nothing at all. Educating yourself and enlisting the help of others is a good thing.
Asking professionals for advice is a great way to start. Don’t be arrogant. Recognizing that you may need assistance is not bad, it is smart. Asking your team or employees for input is okay as long as you are don’t appear to be desperate. Listen to what everyone has to say, but only take the advice that you believe is credible and will help the situation. Ultimately you will make the decisions, not your subordinates. See through those who have an agenda and consider their recommendations carefully. Don’t be afraid to delegate, ask others to perform tasks or gather research and present it to you so that you can have more resources available.
No problem has ever been solved by worrying about it. Prioritize and work on the most import things first. Don’t allow yourself to be caught up in things that can wait. Apply all of your energy to what matters most. You will often find that by solving the biggest problem, the little ones get worked out along the way. Trying to do too many things at once only means that nothing gets completed. Solving a problem gives you a sense of accomplishment that gives you the motivation to keep going and move on to the next problem. If you feel overwhelmed it is probably because you have spread yourself too thin and are trying to solve everything all at once.
Try not to micro manage people you have delegated things to. If you put them in charge of something, let them do it. Set up realistic deadlines and give them the tools to succeed. Monitor their progress but don’t dictate each step. If you are too involved you just create yes men and women who are only looking to agree with you rather then come up with the best solutions. Sometimes the best solutions are things you didn’t think of so let them show you what they can do.
Leaders never stop leading. Reacting to problems makes you a good leader, preventing problems makes you a great one. If things are good, problems are solved and everyone is doing well then you have succeeded, for the time being. When times are good and things are calm, the best leaders use that time to prepare for what is coming next. It is better to run at a steady pace rather then ride waves up and down. Sitting back and enjoying the good times is okay for everyone else. The best leaders are always thinking about the future and how to protect those who depend on them. Fortune favors the prepared.
Don’t put a band-aid on it. Covering up problems or enacting short term solutions does not solve the problem, it only postpones it. You may have made today a little easier, but you have made tomorrow more difficult. By the time the problem needs a permanent solution you may have new problems to face and you will become overwhelmed.
Assess, Evaluate and Execute. Assess the situation and figure out what needs to be done. Make sure you have all the facts and information available. Evaluate all your options. There may be several solutions available. You will need to figure out which one will work best for your situation. The easiest and cheapest option may not always be the best. Execute your plan. Once you have a solution in place, get to work on it. Second guessing yourself wastes time. If you have done the first two steps properly there is no need for further deliberation.
Whether you are a business leader, a parent or a world leader, you have people depending on you. Solve the problems you face but teach at the same time. When you are calm, you will calm others. Panic is a virus worse then anything biological. If you spread panic you teach others to panic and you have led them down the wrong path.
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