Leading from the Front: No-Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women

CHAPTER 6

WHEN FACED WITH A CRISIS—AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE

Crises come in all shapes and sizes. They can occur in all sorts of situations, often at the worst possible moment—and typically when you’re least expecting them. Crises often bring productive work to a halt. They create mayhem. They breed anxiety. And they test the skills of the most accomplished leader. Because a crisis is a situation that you don’t immediately know how to handle, the solution—the remedy—isn’t obvious.

Lower-than-expected sales, a lawsuit out of the blue, a sudden round of layoffs—crises at work generally result in a major change in workload. The feeling of being overwhelmed can send workers at all levels into a panicked tailspin. Many find it difficult to function, ...