Table 2.
Summary of Leadership Pearls and Pitfalls for an Effective Response to Crisis*
| Topic | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Anticipate | Predict what lies ahead |
| Pearl: Look for signs that announce possibility of a crisis; prepare for action | |
| Pitfall: Narrow-mindedness; consider all possibilities and consequences | |
| Navigate | Change direction as needed |
| Pearl: Be flexible and adapt the approach to manage the crisis | |
| Pitfall: Holding on to a plan that is not working | |
| Communicate | Communicate with honesty |
| Pearl: Communicate regularly and candidly | |
| Pitfall: Avoiding the delivery of bad news | |
| Pearl: Acknowledge new information and appreciate the messenger | |
| Pitfall: Assume people already know certain information | |
| Listen | Listen actively |
| Pearl: Show empathy and willingness to listen | |
| Pitfall: Avoid listening to news regarding setbacks or failures | |
| Learn and grow | Apply lessons learned |
| Pearl: Examine how the crisis was managed and identify areas for improvement | |
| Pitfall: Think that crisis will never happen again | |
| Pearl: Incorporate lessons learned, and use these to generate innovation | |
| Pitfall: Become complacent and hesitate to make changes |
*Adapted from Burnison G, Korn Ferry. A word from the CEO: Leading in a crisis. Available at: https://www.kornferry.com/insights/articles/burnison-coronavirus-leadership-crisis. Accessed May 30, 2020.