Leadership is a key component of any organization's success. When I completed my doctoral work over 15 years ago (!), my key finding was the impact a strong principal has on a school's academic success. Leadership's importance is born out in numerous research studies and is assumed to varying degrees by all serious analysts of organizations. However, good leadership is especially important during times of uncertainty and crisis. So what are some traits that leaders should exhibit in a time of crisis?
The first characteristic that should be present prior to experiencing a crisis is character and integrity. Michelle Obama famously said that, "Being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are." Another way to put this is that leadership and character are amplified in times of stress and crisis (since being president is essentially dealing with daily stresses and crises). For schools, this can be wonderful when the principal is a strong leader. But the amplification goes both ways and, if the leader is not strong, that also will be made evident during a time of crisis. "Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching" according to C.S. Lewis. Catholic schools especially should be focused on recruiting and developing principals of integrity and character who live their faith through daily actions and behaviors. This will prove beneficial at all times but especially during times of crisis.
It is important to be calm and confident during the chaotic early moments and days of crisis. This may present a challenge because there could be conflicting information with advocates for certain approaches who try and convince the leader to move in a definitive direction. Understanding the facts of the situation and making decisions in both a timely and deliberate fashion is very important. Collect the facts, talk to those you trust and make decisions in a collaborative manner.
Being calm and confident is also important because there will be many others at the school who will feel tremendous anxiety and concern about the future, and they will express this through their, at times irrational, actions. The challenge for the leader is that he or she might also experience anxiety and doubt but it is important for people to see the leader as being in charge. One of the reasons leadership is so difficult is that it is hard to outwardly express positive confidence when one is filled with other, more conflicted emotions. But it is important in times of uncertainty.
As much as possible, leaders must be honest and transparent during times of crisis. I clarify this point because there may be things that leaders are unable to share for valid reasons. But everything that can be shared with the community should be shared. This gives people confidence that they are hearing the truth and they know where things stand. And factual knowledge is often what is most intensely desired during a rapidly (or even not so rapidly) changing situation. The principal has cultural capital within the community and this should be treated in a sacred way so that when he or she communicates information, it is widely held as being accurate.
The secondary part of being honest and transparent is a leader also has to always express vision and hope in the future. This should not manifest itself as blind optimism but rather as honesty regarding the storms that may lie ahead and confidence and hope that the school will ultimately get through them. This is communicated by establishing a vision for what will be and how, if at all possible, it will be better than before. When the reality of the situation is communicated to the community, and the principal then follows that with a positive vision of the school's ultimate future, people feel reassured.
A final note, crises are unique, and the one we are experiencing now with COVID-19 was the impetus for this post. But leaders have to be adaptable. For example, some circumstances (like an earthquake) will require more rapid, on the spot decision-making. But the tenets outlined above do hold true, trusting that leaders use their own sound judgement in each circumstance.
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