“How has your leadership style changed in the last month, and what has been the biggest surprise?” 

I’ve been posing this question to top leaders here in Iowa and in my network across the country as the coronavirus situation and economic volatility have unfolded. Having spent a fair amount of my career managing change or crisis, I expected some themes, but the answers have been unexpected.

Of course, the responses to my informal, off-the-record question have depended on the leader’s industry, size or type of company, location and personality. But the combination of the global health crisis on top of major business disruption has yielded surprisingly vulnerable reactions from some pretty tough business leaders at the helm of public, private and nonprofit organizations. Here are a few:

– I simply do not have enough time in the day, so I am relying on my leadership teams. It is hard for me to let things go, but I have no choice. 

– The safety of my team is suddenly the most important thing.

– I’m addressing employees’ emotions – especially grief and fear. I’m not used to that.

– I’ve had to be more innovative than ever, and that is out of my comfort zone.

– I’m trying to create a sense of calm and rationality. And I don’t always feel calm inside.

– I’m thanking heavens for technology even if I look incompetent in front of my team trying to learn all this stuff. 

– Getting back to guiding principles.

– Nothing has prepared me for deaths. All I can do is be there for these families. (From a CEO friend in New York City).

One of the most enlightening responses was from a local nonprofit leader friend who said, “This crisis has forced me to look internally at who I am as a leader. I’ve been reviewing my top values and asking myself if I am truly living those values every day.” He went on to describe his values, which were well defined and articulated, and how he was actively integrating them into his daily work and aligning them with the organization’s values.

Why are values and emotional response so important for leaders at a time like this? “Values influence leadership because they directly inform what matters most to the leader in question,” says business guru Seth Godin, quoted in a recent Forbes article titled “4 Ways to Lead Yourself and Others Brilliantly in Times of Crisis.”

Similarly, in an article called “In a Crisis, Values Matter,” Richard Ades, former chief of strategic communication for the Transportation Security Administration, asserts: “A company that has strong values and honest relationships with its stakeholders and customers will be more effective and resilient in a crisis, not only because of the residual good will, but because there’s a clear sense of purpose.”

Demonstrating that sense of purpose, developing our empathy, stretching beyond our comfort zones and aligning our own leadership values with our organizations’ values are all critical in times of crisis. As the pandemic unfolds, leading authentically and from the heart is equally important as strategy or financial statements. This is a human crisis, after all. 

How has your leadership style changed in the last month? Have you reassessed your leadership and organizational values? How are you leaning into them to be the most authentic, effective leader you can be in this time of uncertainty and change?

Email her at suzannadebaca@bpcdm.com.