How does a successful crisis manager work?

Crises are common

Every organization will face a crisis at some point. Whether an organization succeeds depends on the actions of those in leadership positions. Effective crisis managers must make good decisions quickly, often based on limited information. They should be resilient and keep employees on track. The organizations with the best crisis managers are those that have improved after the crisis. So the question is: What personality traits are most important for crisis management?

Leadership in crisis

First, our research shows that an effective crisis manager behaves like Tammie Jo Shults: Remains calm, takes the lead, and confidently makes critical decisions. These actions combine two personality traits: stability and assertiveness.

In times of crisis, people turn to their managers for support and advice on how to behave in a crisis.

If they panic and don’t believe in the steps to be taken, others will start to get confused and chaos will ensue. Resilient and ambitious managers react appropriately to unexpected situations caused by a crisis and continue to communicate with people about how to proceed. An example might be a sudden move to a home office.

Second, every crisis brings increased stress. Even if the manager may not show it outwardly, they feel the pressure and tension. Our research shows that when people are stressed, they may abandon their usual way of working and it throws them off.

When people face a crisis, they can respond in three main ways, which are:

1. running away from the problem,
2. confronting those we believe are causing the problem, and
3. getting as close to the problem as possible and burdening ourselves with all its details.

None of these approaches are particularly effective, but our research shows that the worst thing we can do when leading in a crisis is avoid the problem (1). Common tactics include denying that there is a problem, pretending that the problem is exaggerated, or simply resigning ourselves. We have found that managers function effectively during a crisis when they are faced with stressful challenges. They are honest with themselves and others about the size and severity of the problem, and they implement appropriate measures as soon as possible.

Third, our research shows that the most effective crisis managers demonstrate empathy and work to stay connected to the needs of their employees, customers, communities, and partners. While an ambitious, resilient manager reduces panic and sets a plan for the future, employees must still feel valued by the organization and that their interests and concerns are being heard.

The manager should thus serve as a force that unites others.

Our research confirms that effective crisis managers score high on cooperativeness and value caring and social contact. They must also be able to withstand change, risk, and ambiguity. They should not be afraid of changing circumstances and should be able to take risks wisely. For this reason, high caution (low score on the security scale) is more likely to be a disadvantage.

SUMMARY

Crises are inevitable, and organizations need to be well-prepared for them. The best way to do that is to have managers who are effective at dealing with crises when they happen. Our decades of personality and leadership research tell us that the best crisis managers are resilient, ambitious, realistic about the scope of the problem, persistent about the solution, and empathetic about how the crisis affects others. While it can be difficult to stay on top of things during a crisis, organizations with these crisis managers have a bright future ahead of them.

If you’re wondering what managers who are already facing a crisis can take away from this, they should be aware of how their emotions affect their teams. If they can stay calm and optimistic, others will be more likely to stay calm as well. They certainly shouldn’t underestimate the impact and scope of a crisis. Facing challenging situations is difficult, but if they persevere, they have a solid chance of being strengthened by it once it’s over. The final tip is to remember the people and their concerns. Sure, an effective leader must be decisive and goal-oriented, but now is not the time to play the strict boss. Put people and their overall well-being first, listen to their problems, and be available if they need help. Encouraging collaboration and team spirit is an effective way to keep people productive and get them through a crisis successfully.

* Original post by Hogan’s Chase Borden, Kimberly Nei, and Ryne Sherman;
Original version edited by: Jaroslava Turkova, Hogan Product Manager, Assessment Systems