On New Year’s Eve 2021, it was shaping up to be another business-as-usual year and we thought the challenges of COVID are just a mere past. Sure, the world was broken in the familiar ways, but nobody expected more variants of COVID will be introduced to again disrupt our operations as normal campuses. What we are learning is that no instances can be taken for granted and we should be ready for any unforseen events that may come along in coming days or years. How the Institute Management, Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and HODs act in the next several months will determine how we evade the current challenges we will face in our Institutions due to once-a-century pandemic.
1. Learn from History
The best way to deal with a crisis is to be well prepared for it. History repeats itself, and there are almost no unprecedented situations. Effective leaders are like our Army personnel: prepared for anything. They know that the arrival of a crisis is a matter of “when,” not “if.”
2. Embrace Reality
Humans want to avoid pain and seek pleasure, and so our egos are constantly on the lookout for information that confirms that we are awesome. But sometimes, reality sucks. The temptation to indulge in delusion is strong, and we pretend that a best-case scenario is a likelier outcome than the approaching catastrophe.
2. Follow a Strategy
When you have the courage to take off your rose-coloured glasses and face a crisis honestly, you collect valuable information about the situation, and a potential solution will often present itself. The path to that solution will become your strategy—a powerful tool for any leader. If you want to win a battle, you need to execute a plan that is likely to bring victory.
3. Take Decisive Action
OK, you’ve prepared for this crisis by studying history; you’ve looked at the facts without deluding yourself; and you’ve used that reality to inform your strategy. Now it’s time to act—not in a casual way, like you were walking to Sunday brunch, but with massive and urgent action, like your house is on fire.
4. Be Flexible
Throwing your weight behind a credible strategy is an excellent approach to a crisis… except when reality fails to cooperate. If the strategy isn’t working, ask yourself: Is this because I haven’t given it enough time to play out, or is the strategy wrong? Knowing the answer isn’t easy; it’s more an art than a science, a skill that comes with experience.
5. Set an Example
There’s nothing better than a crisis to uncover a leader’s true character. For honourable people it will bring out compassion, integrity and courage. Unethical people will take advantage of the situation and start hoarding food and supplies to sell at a profit. If you want to lead yourself and your team successfully through a crisis, you need to set an example for others to follow.
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