{"id":14825,"date":"2020-01-21T17:18:29","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T22:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opsweb.wpengine.com\/?p=14825"},"modified":"2020-10-21T15:57:40","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T19:57:40","slug":"how-an-effective-leader-handles-a-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/blog\/how-an-effective-leader-handles-a-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"How an effective leader handles a crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In photo above: Mia Beers at the 2015 Service to America Medals gala. (Photo by Aaron Clamage)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a medical emergency never say \u201csomeone call 9-1-1.\u201d Why not? Unless there\u2019s a person in the crowd named Someone, the call will likely be made by no one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, point to a specific person directing them to make\nthe call. \u201cYou in the blue t-shirt, call 9-1-1 immediately and tell them what\nhappened and where we are.\u201d See the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August we talked about forming strong leadership habits by making small attainable goals<\/a>. These small wins, made on a daily basis, will prepare you to lead during a crisis. For Mia Beers, leader for the Ebola Disaster Assistance Response Team for USAID, that crisis was the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beers was able to handle the crisis because she is an effective leader. We broke down her actions into the four key leadership competencies identified in the Partnership\u2019s Public Service Leadership Model<\/a>, to demonstrate how she effectively led others during this crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BECOMING SELF-AWARE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beers was the third team leader to take control in West\nAfrica. To mentally prepare, Beers reflected on her experience in disaster\nassistance during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Self-Reflection <\/em>is\na lesser utilized leadership tool, strong leaders understand they must\nconstantly look inward to improve. History is known to repeat itself \u2013 and you\ncan use self-reflection to learn what works and what doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ENGAGING OTHERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beers partnered with other agencies and each of the\ncountries throughout West Africa. In what she called \u201ca whole government\neffort\u201d Beers trusted and relied on the experience of colleagues to take actions\nthey felt were appropriate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engaging Others<\/em>\ninstills trust and sets the foundation for Collaboration<\/em>\namong all stakeholders. Beers exemplified this through partnering with other governments.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LEADING CHANGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beers created order out of chaos by implementing a clear strategy\nthat everyone could buy into. Vision-Setting<\/em>\nis critical in times of crisis because people need clear directions. She set\nmilestones for solving specific issues and clearly defined what success looked\nlike for all stakeholders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACHIEVING RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all want to achieve positive outcomes but if we don\u2019t\nknow how to work from within confines of company policies and culture, failure\nis inevitable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beers demonstrated Systems\nThinking<\/em> through her ability to navigate not only U.S. policies and\nregulations, but countries in West Africa too. Knowing when to consult others\nis a valuable leadership tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about Beers\u2019 story<\/a> as an example for leading in crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about resources on effective government leadership, check out the Partnership’s Public Service Leadership Model’s website<\/a>. For more on leadership in the federal government, please read these blog posts:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n