Never Waste a Good Crisis

by Liz Dadanian

Looking back, 2017 has been a very difficult year to read the news. The coverage detailed one massive leadership failure after another. Facebook may not have been proactive enough in preventing Russia from interfering with US elections. Experian fails to perform a routine system upgrade leaving the personal information of millions exposed. Uber management systemically buries sexual harassment complaints and pays hackers $100,000 to keep quiet about a security breach. Dozens of high profile men are exposed under #metoo. The US government responds feebly to natural disasters, racially motivated killing, and requests to explain serious inconsistencies in presidential statements involving the public interest. What all of these examples have in common is the refusal to own and deal with crisis.

These patterns leave you incredulous at best. At worst, you become numb. The problem with the latter is that standing back allows these types of behaviors to fester and eventually seem normal; even acceptable. Crisis, whether experienced by a country, a company, or an individual, is always an invitation to learn and transform. It is an opportunity to face what we fear most and honestly address what isn’t working. If done correctly, getting to the other side always results in elevated awareness and understanding.

Crisis is inevitable, yet we don’t spend much time thinking about or preparing for it. The good news is that there are mindsets that can be cultivated to ensure that the opportunity presented by the crisis isn’t wasted.

Stay Open

Our culture promotes entitlement. We get very comfortable in the notions of “I deserve, I earned, I’m owed, Why me?, and That’s not fair.” It’s important to remember that no one is exempt from the obligation to learn and grow. We don’t like it, but lessons often show up in the form of a crisis. Once you start to accept that this is part of life, you won’t waste so much time resisting the inevitable.

Be Proactive

Humans tend to respond to crises because they are painful and get our attention. What we usually speed past are all the warning signs along the way to the crisis. Oftentimes we can reduce the impact of a crisis, or avert it completely, if we take the time to notice and then address the smaller issues popping up on the path.

Accept Accountability

Become the kind of person who steps up to the plate and resists the urge to dodge obvious problems. The moment you are willing to honestly look at what you’ve done to contribute to the crisis, you put down your shield and the learning can begin.

Keep Your Chin Up

In the midst of crisis, especially one played out in public, it can be very difficult to avoid retreating into shame. Shame is a very self-destructive emotion and it will distract you from the lesson. Try to stop licking your wounds long enough to remember that this experience doesn’t define you. It is a lesson that gives you the opportunity to emerge stronger and victorious.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash