My mother will be 97 next month. She lived in Hiroshima during World War II. She said the other day, “I’ve never experienced anything like this, and I went through the A-Bomb!”

Unless you were alive during the 1918-20 flu pandemic, you can probably say the same. COVID-19 has disrupted nearly every aspect of daily living.

So how can you lead as a non-anxious presence through this or any other crisis? Here’s my take.

Admit What You Don’t Know

I was talking to another camp director who shared that a board member asked her when they could re-open the site. She lamented the fact that she was always prepared with a responsible answer, and in this case, she didn’t have one.

We agreed that the responsible answer here is, “I don’t know.”

Sometimes, as leaders, we feel like we need to have all the answers. That’s not likely in the best of cases and impossible right now. In fact, the mark of a good leader is not having all the answers, but it’s asking the right questions.

By asking questions, you admit you don’t know it all. But it does show that you have a grasp on the situation. It also enlists the experience and expertise of those you work with. Questions that begin with “What would happen if…” and “How would we respond to…” can help everyone think through possible scenarios during a time of extreme uncertainty.

It’s OK to say you don’t know when this crisis will end, or what it will be like on the other side. It’s not being indecisive, it’s being honest.

Focus on Discernment

Even with all the uncertainty, a leader still has to lead. People want to know you are trying to discern a path forward. They don’t expect you to have all the answers, but they want you to try.

Much of my time in the last month has been digesting new information. Fortunately, I was already a regular ZOOM user, so I didn’t need to worry about that.

I’ve learned everything I could about the coronavirus, how it spreads, and how we might be able to keep our guests, campers and staff safe. I’ve followed developments in testing and contact tracing to get a sense for when it might be possible to re-open our ministry.

I read everything I could about the CARES Act, even before it was passed. Once passed, I dove into the Paycheck Protection Program and the details of how to apply.

You’re likely doing similar things.

The point of this for me is to discern how God might be leading us through this crisis, so that I can try to do the same.

Self-Define

This is one half of leadership through self-differentiation. It’s the ability to say what you believe, while giving others the freedom to disagree. It’s taking responsibility for self, without blaming others or the situation.

People will always want to know what the leader thinks. If she does so in a healthy way, even without having all the answers, it can keep the anxiety in the system at a manageable level.

If she refuses to take responsibility, is afraid of looking bad and she blames others, then chaos will ensue, and anxiety will skyrocket.

At our most recent staff meeting (via ZOOM), I said that I didn’t think re-opening the ministry by May 1 was realistic. I shared that I hoped June 1 was possible but didn’t seem likely. I said I’d be ecstatic if we could re-open, even on a limited basis by July 1.

I may be way off. I often am. But I’m trying, and that’s what people expect from a leader.

Stay Connected

This is the other half of leadership through self-differentiation. Without emotional connection people will feel unmoored, anxiety will increase, and it will be harder for people to function effectively.

I’m a big proponent of management by wandering around. The idea is by doing this you’ll have occasional, random contact with staff that facilitates emotional connection. This often results in valuable discussions about some aspect of work, but it’s not the primary purpose.

Since our staff has been working remotely, I’ve realized how important that kind of contact is. It doesn’t just happen the way it does when we’re in the office. So we have to be more intentional, whether it’s through email, phone call, Slack (instant messaging) or ZOOM, we need to stay connected.

My father-in-law passed away just before Noon on Thursday. Our normal staff meeting was scheduled for 1:30pm. Needless to say, I postponed it.

If we weren’t working remotely, I might have just waited until next week. But I felt we need to stay connected. So we re-scheduled for the next day. Seeing others’ faces and hearing their voices was life-giving.

We will get through this, but we won’t do it alone. A non-anxious leader gives us the best chance to do it well.