10 mistakes leaders make in crisis that break team trust

Fast Company

4 hours ago

The most frequently used word to describe the last few months is 'uncertainty.' Our heads have been spinning as we get word almost daily of major policy shifts, market turmoil, new advances in AI, and on and on. Many leaders are feeling a little lost in the wilderness as they navigate the rough terrain.
As you ruminate on these heady problems and how to move forward, how you respond to uncertainty is as important as what you do. To quote Maya Angelou, 'People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
There is no doubt that periods of uncertainty call for leaders to make tough decisions and make unpopular choices, but the leader's behavior in doing so may be remembered long after the crisis has passed. Here are 10 mistakes leaders make that break their team's trust and erode loyalty during uncertain times.
Panicking
Nothing destroys a team's confidence in a leader more quickly than panic. Leaders project their energy and emotion onto the rest of the team, and when a leader panics, so does everyone else.
You don't have to be a stoic, but don't catastrophize either. Be authentic in your level of concern and focus. Be honest that you don't have all the answers. Then set the tone for the team to keep calm and carry on.
Withholding Information
Bad news doesn't get better with age. It's painful to communicate bad news to your team, especially when you may not have the solutions worked out.
But it's important to realize that your team can't help to solve the problem until or unless they understand what's going on. Trust your team with information so that they can effectively help.
Making Unilateral Decisions
It's lonely at the top. Leaders often feel the full weight of their role in a crisis. With the mantra 'the buck stops here' ringing in your ears, it's tempting to be the hero—to move forward with haste and make a decision without consulting your team.
Why consult your team? Decisions are better when they have the benefit of a team's wisdom. Your team provides ideas, helps to kick the tires on solutions, and identifies blind spots. Further, it's likely they'll have to carry out the decision, so getting their input on the front-end preserves trust and creates buy-in.
Suspending Accountability Structures & Rigor
In moments of uncertainty, it may be tempting to suspend processes, checks and balances, or the established rules of engagement to move forward quickly.
If you feel pressure to transgress your culture or bypass your policies to move forward, think twice. If you do conclude that the situation warrants overriding business as usual, make sure your team understands the rationale and be aware that you'll be setting a precedent, which may come back to haunt you later.
Burying Your Head in the Sand
Are you fiddling while Rome burns? Confronting a crisis may involve working through the stages of grief—grief for something lost and a future not yet visible. Leaders who get stuck in denial are paralyzed by inaction. Not identifying and addressing challenges head on causes the team to lose faith in a leader.
If you're feeling overwhelmed and unable to act, use the Boy Scout acronym STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. And if you find yourself stuck in the thinking stage, engage your team to form a plan. Whatever you do, take steps to move forward. Be a hero, not a Nero!
Playing the Blame Game
Sadly, some leaders are known for their emotionally volatile outbursts and blaming others for their circumstances. These behaviors can be very unsettling to the team and culture of fear, which is never productive.
Spending time revisiting the past isn't healthy and will only serve to slow you down, stifle results, and create a toxic culture. It's important for leaders to soberly accept the situation, take responsibility, and move quickly to solutions.
Shutting Down Ideas
Many leaders trying to move quickly—especially those making unilateral decisions—will shut down the team's brainstorming and discussion that are necessary to get to the best solution.
Even if the solution you came into the meeting with is the one the team ultimately accepts, the time spent ideating and discussing will serve to both improve it and align everyone around your plan.
Flip-Flopping
Nothing is more frustrating than an uncommitted leader who steers the team in one direction then quickly pivots when he hears another better idea. Frequent pivots erode confidence and present to the team like you don't know what you're doing.
Do your diligence on the front end, pick a direction, and commit to seeing it through. Build in incremental goals and check-ins to monitor progress. If you must pivot, do so with data and a defensible rationale. Your team will give you grace if they understand the 'why' behind your decisions.
Forgetting to Listen
Sometimes the most important thing a leader can do is not act, but listen. Listening helps us to process challenges and source ideas for the path ahead. For leaders in crisis situations, prepare to do a lot of listening.
In fact, get out of your office and go on a listening tour to see how others are experiencing the turmoil. Get their input. But don't stop there. If you take the time to listen, you must circle back to the team to say, 'This is what I heard, and this is what I'm going to do with that information.' If you don't take that last step, the team is less likely to provide feedback the next time you ask. Make sure they can see how they added value to the direction.
Tolerating Bad Behavior
In periods of uncertainty, leaders aren't the only ones under stress. Others may act out inappropriately as well (see all of the negative behaviors above). It's not enough to keep yourself in check, you must keep the rest of the team in check, too. When negative, trust-behaviors surface, be quick to pull the perpetrator aside for some one-on-one coaching.
Uncertainty is inevitable. How leaders navigate a critical moment can make all the difference. Successful leaders turn toward their teams in times of crisis—humbly realizing that they alone do not have all the answers. If you trust your team to help you handle the turbulence, they'll trust you in return.