Remain Calm in the Storm

From the book The Management Methods of Jesus, by Bob Briner:


'In every episode recorded about the life of Jesus, when outside forces created tumult, He remained calm.


In the life of almost every corporate manager and executive, there will be times when you feel an "armed" mob is coming after you and your company. Labor unrest, product safety breakdown, critical material shortages, takeover attempts, and the dreaded cash-flow crisis are examples of those kinds of times. That is when the effective leader remains calm and provides effective, positive, reassuring leadership. 


Most of us don't inherently have the serenity and assurance to automatically project calm in the face of the storm. That's a characteristic we must cultivate. The most important prerequisite is to recognize the need for this calm spirit. It is amazing how many executives still think that cursing, shouting, and generally running amok are the appropriate and best responses to a crisis situation. 


A word of caution, however. Being calm does NOT mean being detached. You can be calm and still be fully engaged and actively involved.


Next to recognizing the need for calm, the most important thing is to plan for tough times. The wise executive will have carefully drawn crisis plans appropriate to the various challenges that might arise. He will also have a crisis team in place, and each member of the team will know his role. This kind of planning helps insure calm all around.


Another useful but often neglected calm-producing activity is prayer. This...might seem a little mystical to the average business manager. But even spiritual skeptics have noted the empirical evidence of the calm that prayer produces. History, too, is full of anecdotal evidence of the power of prayer to help in times of crisis. It is not coincidental that Jesus spent the hours just before his arrest in prayer.


Be like Jesus. Be a calm and effective leader, even in the eye of the storm.