Leader should take a moment to figure out what’s going on. An executive I know experienced a major disruption in service to his company. He was the person in charge and he told me that at the first response meeting everyone started talking at once. The chatter was nervous response, not constructive, so he delegated responsibilities and then called for a subsequent meeting in an hour’s time. This can help to impose order on a chaotic situation.
Leaders should act promptly, not hurriedly.
A leader must provide direction and respond to the situation in a timely fashion. But acting hurriedly only makes people nervous. Leader can act with deliberateness as well as speed. “Be quick but don’t hurry.”__ John Wooden
Leader should manage expectations.
When trouble strikes, people want it to be over right now — but seldom is this kind of quick resolution possible. It falls to the leader in charge to address the size and scope of the crisis. Leaders don’t want to alarm people, yet do not be afraid to speak to the magnitude of the situation.
Leader should demonstrate control.
When things are happening quickly, no one may have control, but a leader can assume control. That is, leader does not control the disaster but leader can control the response. A leader puts him self into the action and brings the people and resources to bear. For example, Red Adair, who