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Leading your firm through the crisis more resiliently

Resilient Mindset Mini-Series

By Katharina Lange

13 min.

April 2020

The inaugural Resilient Mindset Mini-Series video explores ways to make teams and companies resilient in times of crisis, with constant recognition of the role emotions play

In this short video, CHRO of Ranstad, Jos Schut, speaks to Katharina Lange, Professor of Leadership at IMD, on how organizational leaders can lead their firms through the crisis more resiliently.

Drawing on his experience at Ranstad, Schut transmits the importance of the emotional resilience of the leader him/herself. Taking control of your emotions and aligning them with company strategies and values is a key step in making an opportunity out of the crisis.

Other questions raised include: What best practices have emerged at Ranstad this past month? And, how can leaders make progress in these times transparent? As a leader, how can you feel that the organization is with you, if you have to take courageous decisions? Having a leadership framework, with clear values, will help.

As always, but now more than ever, communication is key; and with people from all across the organization. Connect daily with local management to see the situation on the ground.

Being an empathetic leader is crucial in times of suffering. But are you making sure you balance compassion with momentum, to keep moving through the crisis? The speakers offer more advice on this. Jos Schut says, “You should think about the short-term and the future. What are we going to do when recovery starts in order to make sure we are ready?” Schut makes the point that you have to be the secure base for people at all levels.

However, don’t let your responsibilities go to your head, or overwhelm you. “When you are not all in one office you have to empower your people; there is simply no other opportunity,” he says.

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