I wanted to continue with the theme of crisis leadership. Vice Admiral James Stockdale, naval aviator, prisoner of war, and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor said, "It is in disaster, not success, that the heroes and the bums really get sorted out." That may be a little harsh, but I think it is absolutely true. Times of crisis are when leadership is really tested.
I would like to go back to the article published a few months ago in Nursing Administration Quarterly by Drs. Renee Thompson and Mitchell Kusy ("Has the COVID pandemic strengthened or weakened health care teams?"). The two authors of this article highlighted one of the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early on during the pandemic, the leadership mantra was "We got this!" We all believed that their was a finish line in sight, particularly when new treatments and a number of vaccines became available. Unfortunately, the crisis continued for longer than perhaps anyone had anticipated. As the delta variant became the dominant strain of the virus this past summer and cases started to increase (again), the leadership mantra became, "Here we go again."
Drs. Thompson and Kusy interviewed over 400 nursing leaders throughout the pandemic and learned that there were two common leadership mistakes that increased dysfunction among their teams. There is no question that, particularly early on, there were a lot of unknowns. Some leaders, rather than acknowledging that they didn't have all the answers, tried to alleviate their teams' anxieties and concerns by making promises that they could never hope to keep. For example, the supply chain disruptions early in the pandemic led to shortages of surgical masks, hand sanitizer, and N-95 masks (the two largest manufacturers of N-95 masks were located in China and Italy, which were two of the early COVID-19 hotspots). Given these shortages, leaders claimed that universal masking was not necessary, and N-95 masks were only required for certain high-risk situations. I fully recognize that these statements were made with the best intentions and, at the time, with the best, available evidence (I will also admi that I made these kinds of statements myself). However, I can't help but wonder if these early statements, which were later followed by statements recommending - actually, requiring - universal masking and N-95 for all COVID-19 patients created mistrust.
As Dr. Thompson and Kusy state, "Trust is one of the most critical elements for team succcess." When leaders don't have all the answers (and that will happen), it is better to admit it and not make declarative statements or promises that they can't keep. I know leaders were reluctant to talk about the limited supply of personal protective equipment early in the pandemic, but perhaps we should have been more forthright about our lack of knowledge on the evidence and the limitations in assets.
Several leaders in Thompson and Kusy's study stated that they were uncomfortable delivering information that they didn't necessarily agree with. This is one of the most difficult positions to be in, but unfortunately one that is not so uncommon, especially for middle managers. There are a couple of caveats here. Leaders should never do or support something that is ethically or morally wrong. On the other hand, there will be times when the leader has no choice but to follow some governmental mandate or legal regulation (even when they don't agree). What I am talking about is the situation where a leader has to convey information on a change to their teams that they don't necessarily agree or support.
So, how do you lead a change you don't agree with? Blog writer Kevin Eikenberry offers a couple of recommendations:
1. Give it a little time. There is no question that change is difficult. Your first response to a change initiative is frequently, "You've got to be kidding me!" However, in many cases, once you allow your initial reaction to pass and have time to think and reflect on the change, you will realize that the change is necessary.
2. Ask for more information. If you don't understand the rationale, ask questions! Again, once you hve time to collect more information, you will often realize that the change makes sense.
3. Understand the why. I think this follows from the first two points above.
4. Recognize the source of your concern. Are you simply holding on to the past?
5. Influence the outcome if possible. As the saying goes, "There are many ways to skin a cat." Look for opportunities to influence how the change is implemented. Perhaps you have more control than you think.
6. Implement the change. Eikenberry suggests (and I agree with him here) that if you follow steps #1-#5 above, you should be in a good position to proceed with the change.
The second most common mistake that leaders made, according to Drs. Thompson and Kusy, was ignoring or allowing disruptive behaviors. As they write, "During the crisis, we saw the best and worst in people." We've all observed, I think, an increase in disruptive or unprofessional behaviors. Individuals are incredibly stressed, and unfortunately, at times stress leads to bad behavior.
Again, Drs. Thompson and Kusy observed that, "leaders tried to accomodate, defend, rationalize, or ignore disruptive behaviors when they showed up." While admittedly this was likely a common reaction, it was unfortunately the incorrect response. There are no excuses for bad behavior, and leaders who do not address these behaviors actually condone and encourage them.
Thomas Jefferson said, "The most fortunate of us all in our journey through life frequently meet with calamities and misfortunes which greatly afflict us. To fortify our minds against the attacks of these calamities and misfortunes should be one of the principal studies and endeavors of our lives." Those of us who have been privileged to be in a leadership position during this pandemic (and despite how difficult it has been to be a leader in this crisis, it is still a privilege) have learned a lot, both about ourselves and our teams. There will be time in the near future to "fortify our minds" by studying and reflecting on what worked well during this pandemic. We should not miss that opportunity.
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