Leadership Tip of the Week: Managing Chaos

It was complete chaos and things were not looking good. We had made contact with the enemy and our team was in disarray. We had lost contact with two of our team members. Things were in dire straits and we had to get it turned around immediately.

This sounds like a battlefield, but it was actually 3-4 year old flag football; the two are not all that different now that I think about it.

Leaders can be the cause or solution to chaos. Here are a few things to help you bring control and order to the confusion and disorder known as chaos.

Stay calm. This is the most important thing to do in the midst of chaos. Leaders set the tone for their teams and if the leader panics, the team will panic. A leader with the presence to stay calm under pressure will inspire confidence in their team members.

Stay focused on positive outcomes and fight fear. Staying calm is a start, but leaders will also have to keep fear from overwhelming their team. This can be fear of failure, fear of the unknown, etc. — all of which will make it hard for your team to perform well. Leaders can fight fear by showing courage and inspiring hope and optimism.

Chaos is complete disorder and confusion; it can impact any business or industry. It is also when leadership is needed the most. Leaders need to develop their ability to remain calm and fight fear or they will add to the problem instead of solving it.