One of the most important things leaders can do in a crisis is communicate wisely. People need life-giving assurance, and leaders are often the ones to deliver it. But communicating this way doesn’t happen by accident. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to let fear dictate your response and undermine your leadership. Instead, leaders need to embrace seven wisdom-filled disciplines that will help them communicate in a crisis without creating a bigger crisis.
1. Calm over Chaos – When crisis hits, the most respected leaders exhibit a calming presence. That doesn’t mean they don’t take the crisis seriously. Quite the opposite. They’re so serious about the crisis that they make sure their demeanor doesn’t add to the crisis. Chaos creates a culture of panic whereas calm creates a culture of peace. Leaders understand that their body language sets the tone for everyone else and everything else.
2. Care over Callousness – Crisis creates tension. Emotions heat up under the pressure, and sometimes they can spill out onto the people around us. This communication tip is all about guarding your heart and exercising emotional intelligence. Everybody is stressed. Everybody. Give a bit more time to the “heart” side of leadership before you jump into the business side. Tough decisions have to be made, and people need to be held accountable, but remember, they’re still people. Like you, they still feel. Don’t let a callous response trump your commitment to compassion and care.
3. Reality over Hype – Crisis communication acknowledge what’s really happening in the crisis. When a leader downplays the crisis, they present themselves as out of touch with reality. The temptation for these leaders is to shift into hype mode. They avoid the exaggeration of the crisis (which is good), but they swing to the other extreme and exaggerate positivity. Always remember, in a crisis, people want to know that their leader understands their fears and anxieties. Too much hype puts you out of touch with what’s really going on inside the people you lead.
4. Research over Reaction – In a crisis, communication that catches people off guard is usually a sign of reactionship, instead of leadership. The challenge we face in crisis moments is that we usually have limited time to make important decisions. Simply put, the urgency of the moment demands a quick response. Even so, leaders need to take the time they do have to do whatever research they can. James 1:19 reminds us, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Reactionary leadership reverses this truth: it’s slow to listen and quick to speak and become angry. Do your best to gather the facts, and then communicate what you can without making assumptions about the future.
5. Priorities over Panic – Because time is strained in crisis moments, our highest priorities can get downgraded in the process. The things that are most important can become all but forgotten. Initially, you may need to make some quick adjustments, but recognize that your first decision doesn’t have to be your final decision. Work hard to identify your highest priorities in the midst of the crisis, and then let those priorities be your true north. When you have values-based priorities, you’ll lessen the panic and increase the peace.
6. Clarity over Certainty – Leaders are often tempted in a crisis to do two things: predict and promise. On the one hand, we try to predict what will happen next, hoping it will create a greater sense of peace. On the other hand, we make promises we cannot keep. Both responses will undermine your church and the steps you’ll need to take in the future. Instead, as author Andy Stanley says, leaders must fight for clarity over certainty. You’ll never be completely certain about what to do because the circumstances are filled with too much change and uncertainty. But you can be clear. You can communicate a clear path forward in the midst of the uncertainty. Don’t overpromise and don’t try to predict the future, but also don’t leave people guessing. Choose clarity over uncertainty.
7. Hopefulness over Permanence – Several years ago I was watching a news program after a crisis hit a community where several people had lost their lives. During the program, the host interviewed members of a different community who had experienced a similar tragedy a few years earlier. The longer I watched the interview, the more depressed I became. Why? Because the people in the community where a crisis had hit years earlier kept painting layer upon layer of doom and gloom. Not only were things bad, they would always be bad.
In exasperation, the host finally asked a member of the community, “Can you offer any hope to the people who have just experienced this same tragedy in their hometown?” Finally, they mustered a few words that offered a glimmer of hope. Had it not been for this host’s quick response, the interview would have ended in a permanent abyss of despair. As a leader, you can’t ignore reality, but you also can’t turn brokenness into permanence. We must offer hope. People need the assurance that things will get better and that this crisis will eventually pass. Model hopefulness, and then encourage people to speak hope into their own souls. As David said, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5).
The first response in each point above will demonstrate wisdom and produce a far healthier outcome. The second response will only magnify and multiply the crisis. Be careful not to speak the language of chaos, callousness, hype, reaction, panic, certainty, and permanence. Instead, choose the language of wisdom. Be calm and caring. Focus on reality, research, and priorities. And offer clarity and hopefulness as you move forward.
