Can You Truly Lead in A Crisis? An Ode to my Sister

Meet Kathleen. Sister Extraordinaire. A truly magnificent person. Dedicated to serving others. She is my role model for leading in crisis.

How many of you have faced a crisis of whatever proportion? What has been your leadership style? If you are like most of the world, you do one of two things – you either hide and wait for someone else to take care of things for you or you run in where fools fear to go and take charge. Most of the people in my world do number two. It is the natural default style of Type A personalities. If there is a crisis, we must move into action – immediately – decisively – take no prisoners. But along the way, there are casualties.

There is another way. It is a way I just watched my sister role-model so well. My sister cares for my ailing mother. They share a house. She has been a patient, loving and responsible leader in the house. My aunt fell into a crisis recently. She lives a 2 hour plane ride away. There is something to be said for this generation of baby boomers who are around to care for aging relatives. My aunt’s crisis was a heart attack which led to a car crash – broken ribs and financial catastrophe looming, my sister stepped into her leadership.

My aunt was besieged with well meaning relatives with tales of doom and gloom and should and oughts. And all of the fear that is present with a crisis. That leads to confusion. Indeed, she was confused. Son or sister, friend or co-worker – all had an answer for her. Answers, answers, shoulds, should. Did any of them meet the need or was the fear self-induced and fueled by hearsay and half-answers. The latter, I fear, was true. Lots of should but few real answers.

Step in Kathleen = again I mention she is Sister Extraordinaire. She stepped into her leadership. She saw the crisis for what it was – booked a ticket and was there in a few days (did I mention she cares for my ailing mother?). In her calm manner, she took stock of the situation, heeded the sense of urgency, and still honored the needs and the wisdom and the experience of my aunt. She asked questions, made phone calls, took practical runs to Walmart. But never in the process did she assert her own will or her own agenda onto the crisis. This was my aunt’s crisis and Kathleen’s leadership allowed my aunt’s answers to surface.

How many of us move into a seeming crisis with our own agenda. WE know best. WE are the go to person. Bunk! In a crisis, the people in crisis have their answers. It takes a true and respectful leader, with a sense of urgency that does not trip over into craziness, to surface the needs and the questions. Are you blasting into a situation or are you surfacing the true need?

Love you Kathleen – you are quite a leader.

To your inspired leadership,

MP

www.mpknight.com