This article is written by Mark Korad, Senior Policy Advisor, UK Cabinet Office.

What does it mean to be a good leader?

It’s a cliché that is often overused but seldom practised. We can attend any number of courses, read books to gain technical knowledge of the steps to take during a crisis. But there is no substitute for experience. Testing yourself in actual situations where you have to step up to the mark and provide a calm façade, timely information and above all project honesty and confidence to those around you (above and below) is where you cut your mettle.

During a crisis, everyone looks to the “senior” individual for reassurance and direction. Get it right, and you have a team who are willing to walk over hot coals to get you the results you need. Get it wrong, and you can destroy morale in a heartbeat.

In my (many) years of public service, I have had to deal with several varied crisis incidents. For me, the key is to learn from each and every experience and apply that learning to the next event. By doing so, you will build your “crisis toolbox”, enhance your personal resilience and most importantly — your reputation, as a good leader.

Leading through crisis

During the heat of a crisis, you have to appear to be the master of the situation — even if inside you are unsure and often (understandably) nervous.

Unease and uncertainty are contagious. Display those traits, and disaffection will spread faster than Covid-19.  As a leader, you will have to make rapid judgements, some of which might not make you popular. Making those decisions is tough.

As a leader you have to identify and embrace your leadership style. Everyone is different. The key is to recognise your own traits and use them as strengths

Often you will not have the luxury of taking the time to conduct an in-depth analysis on each and every call you make. However, if you are willing to be flexible, adapt your decisions to suit the needs of the rapidly changing situation and environment, then that is what makes you stand out. It is that decisiveness which is needed to project the confidence among the team. A leader who waits and dithers quickly loses the initiative and the task of inspiring those around them becomes incredibly difficult.

However, a word of caution. A crisis is not an excuse to relinquish your — or your organisations’ — core values. In fact, it is even more important during times of extreme pressure that we stick to those core principles. They will act as a guide and moral compass during times of unprecedented stress.

What’s your leadership style?

As a leader, you have to identify and embrace your leadership style. Everyone is different. The key is to recognise your own traits and use them as strengths. For example, I feel my strengths as a leader are effective delegation, setting the strategy and vision, and crucially, being able to communicate that vision into bite-sized benefits for myself, my team and my organisation.

These are useful skills to have in a crisis. Developing the ability to delegate tasks efficiently and effectively will allow you as a leader to quickly take control of the situation and avoid things descending rapidly into chaos. As your experience grows, you will recognise that emotions will run high — stress and fear are at the forefront of every crisis (particularly during the “Golden Hour” — the first hour or so after the news of a crisis breaks). You will develop an understanding of how crucial it is to take the initiative, to take control and avoid panic arising.  You will gain the confidence to become visible right from the outset, either by making a statement or as I mentioned earlier, delegating tasks to get the crisis machine moving and implement your organisations (hopefully tried and tested) crisis plans.

Know what your colleagues excel at

During the Arab Spring, I was on the team selected to remain behind to protect the Embassy and our interests in Egypt after the majority of my colleagues were evacuated.

The Ambassador had to make some tough calls. Not all staff were happy about being sent back to the UK — no one likes to be told they are ”non-essential”.  But the fact was, the Ambassador had to choose those with the most relevant skills and experience to remain behind. He was able to do this because he learned from a previous incident — the Icelandic Volcano crisis in 2010 — what skills and experience he had at his disposal and used this to good effect.

In developing our response plan to the impact of the volcano closing European air space – and figuring out what would we do with around 25,000 UK nationals stranded in Sharm el Sheikh — it was discovered that we actually had quite a talent pool in the Embassy. Some staff had relevant Consular experience, some had been part of the FCO’s “Rapid Deployment Teams”, and others had been involved in crisis communications.  Having had both extensive crisis management and media handling experience previously, I was deployed as the most senior member of the team.

As a leader, particularly in a crisis, you have to recognise your own limitations. Get too tired or too stressed and you begin to lose focus

We eventually evacuated 8,000 UK nationals in three days. The key to that exercise was making sure that the Vice-Consuls on the team (who performed superbly) were given the latitude and authority to deal directly with the airlines, which freed up my time to deal with those directly affected by the delays and the media. It’s all about playing to your strengths and those of others around you. I now make it a point to find out what skills and experience members of teams that I work with have. You never know when you might need them at short notice. As a Civil Service, we have an enormous amount of talent and experience. We don’t always make the most of it.

You can’t save the world alone

One of my previous roles was as a Senior Press Officer in the FCO Press Office — one of the most varied and challenging roles there is. As part of the role, you had to cover weekends in the FCO Crisis Response Centre. A set up which covers all incidents, globally 24/7. The teams that work there are among the most dedicated I have come across. Unparalleled experience gained by working at the heart of one of the most tried and tested crisis machines in government. If I learned anything during that time, it was the need for teamwork.

During the Arab spring, we had a staff of 10 (plus some MOD staff who were planning for potential wide-spread evacuation). We were servicing both information requests from London, and also the needs of the resident UK population — making sure they were safe and informed. It was tough and the series of tasks were made relentless by constant demands. We achieved a great outcome by great teamwork and having a common sense of purpose.  But there is a deeper point here as well, about resilience and wellbeing.

As a leader, particularly in a crisis, you have to recognise your own limitations. Get too tired or too stressed and you begin to lose focus. Recognise this within yourself. Make sure you give yourself time to recharge the batteries – you are no good to anyone if you are burned out.

And lastly, stay positive! Easier said than done, I know. Being positive gives you internal confidence. That is not to say you have to walk about with a manic grin! But keeping self-doubt at bay is important.

Remember, a crisis is an opportunity to take ownership, build experience and learn. — Mark Korad

Mark Korad has served in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 26 years in Romania, France, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and Egypt. Mark has been involved in the response to several international level crises, such as 7/7 London attacks, Lebanon Crisis, Duala plane crash, Madeline McCann kidnapping, opening our mission in Afghanistan and the Arab Spring. Mark is currently working in the Government Security Group based in the Cabinet Office and is a member of the 2019 FLS and DELTA schemes.

(Picture credit: Unsplash)