How To Lead Through Crisis
A crisis is the perfect time to ask, “What would a great leader do?” It would be nice to always lead in a predictable environment where things go the way that they’re supposed to. But that’s not how things work. Life is full of storms, and in many ways, the way you respond to them defines you as a leader. Remember, leaders only exist because problems exist that need fixing!
How well you accomplish your mission has everything to do with how you lead through a crisis. Great leaders de-amplify stress; they hold the ship together in the face of setbacks; and they remind their teams of four critical things:
1. God is in control.
If you’re leading in the church, this is nothing you haven’t heard before, but “people need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed” (Samuel Johnson). Having the knowledge is not enough; you must choose to apply it, to believe it when it doesn’t feel true.
Job, after losing his livelihood, family, and health in devastatingly quick succession, still declared that no one could thwart the will of God. No matter what we face or how little sense it makes, God is still in control. When we as leaders affirm this on the front end of a crisis and show with our actions and attitude that we are at peace because we truly believe it, others will be reminded and heartened.
2. It is going to work out.
Piggybacking off the first point, if God is in control and is working all things for good, then we know that one way or another, things will work out. Derailed plans can lead you to lessons and moments you wouldn’t have been able to experience any other way. As leaders, our posture should be, “It will work out—and maybe even for the better.”
No, that doesn’t mean pretending that things aren’t difficult. But it does mean seeing crisis as an opportunity. Restraints can unleash brilliant creativity. When a staff member falls, you have an opportunity to teach grace. Through the process of reconciliation and amends, you have the opportunity to upgrade that position. And you’re most likely to find these opportunities when you expect and watch for them.
3. Don’t turn on each other.
When things go wrong, it’s tempting to assign blame. But it’s important to communicate to your team that you’re not going to go down that road. The blame game keeps you looking backwards when you need to move forward, and it pulls you apart exactly when you need each other most. When a good leader brings a team through a crisis, they come out on the other side of it closer, not farther apart. Make sure everyone understands that division will be swiftly shut down. You’re just not going to go there.
4. Keep taking the next wise step.
You might feel like you’ve gone from having a pretty good idea of what the future was going to look like to suddenly having no clue. In fact, you know as much about the future as you ever did: nothing. All you’ve lost is the illusion of certainty.
The good news is that it doesn't matter right now where you’ll be in 20 years. You don’t have to know. You don’t need those answers. You only need to take the next wise step. Ask: What’s the immediate need? What would God have us address first? Do that. Then repeat. What’s next? Address that. Now what? And one wise step at a time, you’ll travel the entire distance. Like daily bread, God gives us enough wisdom for the next step—not the whole journey’s worth all at once.
Leading through a crisis can be daunting, but it also presents an opportunity to define yourself as a leader. Encourage others to hold together and to trust God’s daily provision. With faith, wisdom, and humility, you can come out of a crisis stronger in your faith than ever.
About The Author
John McGee
John serves as the Senior Director of Watermark Resources at Watermark Community Church.
Learn more about John here on his biography page.