It’s a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those best suited for power are those who never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, who take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise they wear it well- Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
This quote from Dumbledore is one of my favorite quotes on leadership because it supports the idea that the things leaders do when $#!* hits the fan is what makes a great leader- and it’s not always the person who actively seeks leadership that is the best person for the job. The following is a list of 10 things great leaders do when things go wrong for you to use once you find yourself in a leadership role.
1. Objectify the situation
One of the things leaders do when things go wrong is they remove their emotions from the equation. Often times in the business world, a hasty decision based on emotion just fuels the fire instead of putting it out.
2. Realize that failure happens
Our friends at Inc.com say one of the things leaders do is create a culture of openness when it comes to failure. You don’t want your team covering up mistakes because they fear your wrath if you find out. All that does is keep you from finding the root of your problem.
3. Stay positive
Failure is what you make of it. Sure, that probably sounds like some new-age babble, but one of the subtle things leaders do is they see positivity in failure. A great leader stays positive when things go wrong because they know that if they take a trip to neg-town, then their whole team is coming along for the ride.
4. Pivot
Leaders don’t focus on what was lost when things go wrong. They learn from what happened and immediately use that knowledge to come up with a pivot strategy that’s even better than the first.
5. Rally the troops
Rallying the troops is one of the most important things leaders do when things go wrong. Bill Pullman’s speech as the President of the United States in the 90s classic Independence Day is a perfect example of this concept in action.
6. Take responsibility
The sports world is a perfect example of how a leader assumes responsibility when things go wrong. When a team doesn’t perform up to expectations, their coach (leader) is fired because it is his or her responsibility to get the most out of their team. Likewise, failure is partly your fault, but on the plus side, so is success.
7. Extinguish fires
Extinguishing fires is the metaphor used in the business world for making sure a bad situation doesn’t get worse. If you’re using the six strategies mentioned so far, then you’ll have no problem keeping the flames at bay.
8. Repair leaks
Another common metaphor regarding failure in the business world is the sinking ship. Great leaders repair leaks in their ship by determining the factors that lead to failure and specifically addressing these shortcomings in their pivot strategy.
9. Have faith in their team
Faith in one’s team is one of the most underrated things leaders do during a crisis. You need to show your team you are confident they can right the ship- especially when one of their mistakes caused the crisis.
10. Stay humble
The best leaders know that their leadership role does not make them higher in status than their team members. Humility shows you’re vulnerable and human, and it does wonders for team chemistry.
If you keep this list of 10 things leaders do when things go wrong handy in the office, then you’ll be able to turn your next crisis into an amazing growth opportunity!
Are you currently in a leadership role at work? Are there other things leaders do you think we should know about? Let us know on Twitter! (@PloymintHQ)
