Building trust: Four ways to lead in a crisis
Crises are opportunities for leaders to become legends; these four components can be followed during a crisis–whether you are the leader of a nation, a leader of a business, a leader of a school or a leader of a bunch of friends
We are in a crisis that most of us have never seen before. Covid-19 has wreaked havoc in many lives. Friends and family members have died, jobs have been lost and businesses have been forced to shut—there are high levels of mental stress around us. I recall a session we had in 2019 with Daniel Diermeier, the former Provost at The University of Chicago and current Chancellor at Vanderbilt University. Daniel is an expert in crisis management and he ended the session by saying that crises give leaders the opportunity to stand out and become legends.
He talked about the importance of trust and described the four components of his trust radar. These four components are important for leaders to follow in a crisis–whether you are the leader of a nation, a leader of a business, a leader of a school or a leader of a bunch of friends.
We do not know when the Covid-19 deaths will end. We do not know when the vaccines will be easily available. We do not know when new jobs will open up at large scales. But leaders can focus on what is in their control and by using the trust radar, help their teams keep calm.