Leading a Business Through Crisis, Uncertainty, and Change Takes Guts and Mindfulness
Serving in a leadership role at your behavioral health organization has never been easy, but lately it’s been much more challenging. Right now your company is in crisis mode. Whether this was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a PR nightmare, financial difficulties, or any other reason, things aren’t great at work.
You’ve really stood up and been there for your team, but you want to make sure you’re doing your absolute best. As a company leader, employees look to you for guidance, so it’s important to be someone they can rely on. Use this advice to help get your business through this bump in the road.
Leadership Tips For Navigating Crisis, Uncertainty and Change
Practice Mindfulness
In a leadership position, all eyes are on you. Therefore, it’s important to be fully aware of your actions, to make sure you’re setting the right tone for your staff. For example, if you’re clearly overwhelmed by the crisis at hand, everyone else will adopt your chaotic vibe. Obviously, this won’t help matters, so practicing mindfulness will allow you to be less reactive.
Display Courage
Leading your company through a crisis is no easy feat. Right now, your job is harder than ever, because each day is unpredictable. You’re probably second-guessing every decision you make, wondering if it’s the right one, but you have to stay strong. The right choices aren’t always the easy ones, so trust your gut and realize you’re in a leadership role for a reason — because you don’t back down from anything.
Strike a Balance
Working through a crisis can be very time-consuming. In addition to your regular job duties, both you and your team are likely taking on additional tasks to help put out fires left and right. Employees can likely handle a few long days, but it’s important to make sure you don’t work them so hard they achieve burnout.
Avoid this by really thinking about deadlines when doling out tasks. While you might be inclined to make an assignment due ASAP, if it doesn’t really need to be completed until morning, let people go home and get some rest. Having as much of a work-life balance as possible is always important — even in a crisis.
Be Flexible
Right now, it’s not business as usual at your company. Consequently, you’ll need to come up with a new plan to adapt to the changing circumstances. For example, you might need to have employees work remotely, meaning they’ll have to meet with clients exclusively via telehealth appointments.
This might cause your company to have to pivot in a direction it’s never been, which can be intimidating. However, being flexible can not only keep your company in business — it can cause it to thrive. If you’re not willing to make the necessary changes, the crisis could put your facility out of business.
Looking For Your Next Opportunity?
Want to find your next leadership role? If you would like to learn more about how we can help you find your next behavioral health position, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].