Companies deal with small emergencies all the time. Maybe a key employee calls in sick or an upset customer complains. You’re usually ready for these situations. But what if something truly unexpected happens? How do you handle a major crisis that could damage your company’s long-term reputation?
In a crisis, leaders need to take charge. You need to be ready to explain clearly to your employees, the media, and the public what happened, why it happened, and what you’re doing to prevent it from happening again.
Managing a crisis requires a lot of time, attention, and focus. It can feel overwhelming and take a toll if you’re not careful. If you’re leading your company through a difficult situation, here are three rules to help you handle stress:
Prioritize and delegate. Great leaders see the big picture and trust their team with important tasks. You can’t handle a major crisis on your own. Bring in leaders from different departments to look at the problem from every angle and come up with the best plan. You’ll also need team members to help you figure out the damage to your company, whether it’s physical, financial, or reputational.
Surround yourself with supportive people. You need a support system in any crisis, and other company leaders can offer expertise you may not have. For example, if your company faces a cybersecurity threat, work closely with your Chief Information Security Officer to understand the issue and how to fix it. You might also need to talk with the head of IT to learn more about the problem and how to prevent it from happening again. Having a trusted colleague to help with big tasks and offer advice can make it easier to face the crisis and take action.
Don’t listen to outside criticism. When your company is in the spotlight, you may face daily attacks, threats, and negative opinions from outsiders. It’s important to recognize these opinions, but don’t let them affect your personal life. Take a break from the news and focus on solving the problems instead of worrying about them.
Most importantly, try to leave work stress at the office and not bring it home. Being a leader comes with big responsibilities, but you also have other parts of your life that shouldn’t be affected by a company crisis.
