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The conscious leader is one who encourages their people to readily adjust to change, accepting uncertainty, while having a sense of security and centrality in the path the leader is going. If we are to thrive in this age of rapid change, we need to address and re-balance our dependency on the rational types of analytical thinking that are so prevalent in the current economy.

To become a conscious leadership in crisis means, organisations need to take on a deeper understanding of what motivates individuals to thrive and develop. By modifying processes or policies, many companies concentrate on enhancing effectiveness in times of transition. Forgetting that these are the human beings that are making the changes. This way of thinking is obviously not working! We can not solve the issues with the same level of thought that created them. 

We need to establish policies that allow people inside organisations to experience greater authenticity and a richer professional and personal experience that is more fulfilling. Let’s see some categories of our leadership style that need special attention.

1. Be available and approachable

Employees have a need to hear from their leaders regularly, especially during a crisis. Staff feel motivated and are more likely to have confidence that things are under control and will be fine when leaders seem calm, concerned, informed, and in charge. Leaders should be available during a crisis. Since walking around the facility and talking to colleagues in person is not always possible, let workers know how they can better contact you with status reports and questions. Understand that, during an emergency, organisational protocol needs to accommodate for flexible leadership ranks.

2. Dedicate the capital of organisations for future emergencies

The time pressure and the need for split second decisions eases when there is a strategic thought involved in any crisis situation. The strategy must develop at that stage into a more complex structure that looks at rehabilitation and restores things to normal, however the new normal looks like.

Will you be prepared if a similar emergency happens in the future? All leaders would admit that it is necessary to prepare emergencies, such as having a crisis response plan and putting aside resources for a crisis. But experience suggests that essential tools for contingencies are seldom put in reserve. And if they are, typically they are insufficient. 

While improvisation can not be anticipated, it is possible to integrate thought and team-building activities into a training programme that prepares everyone for a similar future crisis.

3. Understand the science of rational decision making

We know that it is not purely reasonable sometimes to make rational decisions! Both the meaning of the decision and individual emotional states affect it. 90% of the knowledge we have is unconscious. Our actions, which are a product of values, beliefs, schooling, climate, past experience, social norms, are then filtered by our perception of the world in which we reside, are guided by the unconscious mind.

It’s important to note that a different part of the brain, the limbic system, where emotions and emotional memories lie, processes these interpretations. The limbic part of the brain, or the sensing part of the brain, is the part that is responsible for perceptions, observations and assumptions and is much quicker than the frontal cortex, the thought, reasoning part of the brain. The feeling part of the brain is very quick and fuel-efficient and the rational brain can easily be overridden.

The first reaction to any crisis  will be to respond emotionally, sometimes with fear, if the change is entirely contradictory to what has occurred previously. Our ability to make rational decisions and to access our inherent intuitive knowledge is compromised by fear, stress and anxiety. Neuroscience increases our understanding of the workings of the human brain, including how we make choices, the effects of our emotional states, our biological functioning, and how our thought impacts individual performance. Positive psychology tells us that ‘happier’ individuals are less likely to suffer from stress-related situations and will regularly achieve greater job satisfaction.

4. Relationship Management

Last but the most important characteristic of a conscious leader is to have effective relationships. Leaders who have established an intimate, emotional, and cultural base during a crisis may then concentrate on the immediacy of the moment.

By affirming significant job positions and relationships, be mindful of the unpredictable. People respond to uncertainty in crisis situations in a variety of ways. Mindful leaders remind their employees and co-workers of their worth. Before the crisis happened, several workers may have handled different life factors or stressors and may still handle them during the crisis. They can need reassurance to the organisation of their respective significance and purpose.

Employees will be expected to practise increased levels of versatility and adaptability in alternative ways, such as virtual meetings, increased isolation, autonomous decision-making and self-monitoring during emergencies, to learn how to conduct business. Gentle reminders of the importance of each worker, their ability to acclimatise and their capacity to work together can serve as a catalyst for sustaining efficiency, self-worth and organisational morale of employees.

Being conscious is the key to keeping work secure, coordinated and under control. Workers need to appreciate a manager’s decision making and be engaged in a safety plan to remain alert. This can be a time when the transactional abilities need to be used. The real honest leader, the one who can keep the people focused and reassured, is really going to make all the pieces of the puzzle work right. We should reframe the point at which we understand that we are caught up in our health care crisis as a time to not only take care of ourselves, but for us to also indulge in personal care. 

It is all an act of balancing. Period. 

The crisis can be perceived as an opportune moment to exercise reflective retention and to test one’s character. Can you pass the test as a conscious leader in the testing times  of the crisis?

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Relationship Management help an organisation?

Having effective relationship management  is the most significant aspect of a conscious leader. Leaders who, during a crisis, have developed a personal, emotional, and cultural foundation may then focus on the urgency of the situation.

How can one define Rational Decision Making?

A multi-step method for making decisions between options is rational decision making. The logical decision-making method supports reasoning, objectivity, and interpretation over subjectivity and comprehension.

Define Crisis Management for an organization?

The identification of dangers to a company and its members, and the techniques used by the organization to manage these risks, is crisis management.  Companies often build a crisis management plan to reduce ambiguity in the event of a crisis.

Who is a Conscious Leader?

A conscious leader is one who empowers their people to adapt to the change easily, embracing confusion, whilst also having a feeling of security and centrality in the leader’s path. .A conscious leader is one who doesn’t concentrate on themselves, but on the company as a whole.

Define Leadership Coaching?

Leadership coaching is a valuable teaching method for management to help company leaders at all levels maximize their own leadership skills to improve results.

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