The Crucial Role of Leadership in Crisis and Program Management

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. The Importance of Leadership in Crisis Situations
3. The Role of a Program Leader
4. Similarities Between Leading a Crisis Response and Leading a Major Program
5. The Key Leadership Skills: Sense Making and Learning
6. Sense Making: Understanding the Needs and Challenges
7. Meaning Making: Communicating and Motivating the Team
8. Adapting to Uncertainty and Time Pressure
9. Proactive Learning: Making Time for Learning and Improvement
10. Red Teaming: Challenging the Main Team's Perspective
11. Conclusion: Improving Major Program Leadership Skills

Article:

🌟 The Importance of Leadership in Crisis Situations

In times of crisis, effective leadership becomes more critical than ever. The past six months have presented unprecedented challenges, with the world grappling with a global pandemic. As the SRO of the Adi MPP program and the deputy chief executive of Public Health England, I have had a unique vantage point from which to observe and learn. The program I oversee, the Science of Program, aims to establish a center for applied public health science—a hub of innovation that supports the response efforts.

🌟 The Role of a Program Leader

Leading a major program requires specialized skills, particularly when dealing with crisis situations. Both leading a program and leading a crisis response share several commonalities. First and foremost, they attract significant public attention and carry high stakes. The success or failure of these endeavors is readily apparent. Additionally, both involve complex tasks with multiple interdependencies. To succeed, strong leadership is necessary, backed by an effective temporary organization.

🌟 Similarities Between Leading a Crisis Response and Leading a Major Program

In examining the similarities between leading a crisis response and leading a major program, two key areas stand out: sense making and learning. Sense making involves deeply understanding what is important to the team, external partners, and stakeholders. It goes beyond just rational plans and encompasses the emotional aspect of the challenge. To truly make sense of the situation, leaders must actively engage with others and gather both hard and soft data.

🌟 Sense Making: Understanding the Needs and Challenges

Sense making is a dynamic process that arises through action. To fully grasp the situation, leaders must immerse themselves in the environment, converse with people, and observe the intricacies firsthand. By doing so, they can understand the nuances, gather insights, and make informed decisions. Sense making is about consolidating information and identifying what truly matters when facing a crisis or leading a program.

🌟 Meaning Making: Communicating and Motivating the Team

However, understanding alone is not enough. Leaders must also excel in meaning making. This involves taking the gathered insights and translating them into messages that resonate with the team. Effective communication becomes crucial in motivating and inspiring people to move forward. By combining sense making with meaning making, leaders strike the delicate balance between adhering to plans and being adaptable in the face of uncertainty and time pressure.

🌟 Adapting to Uncertainty and Time Pressure

During crisis responses, decisions must often be made swiftly with limited knowledge. Hindsight may offer insights, but in the moment, leaders must assimilate new and sometimes incomplete information to guide their actions. This ability to adapt and redesign programs on the go becomes paramount. Flexibility within the established scope is essential to avoid unnecessary risk and uncertainty.

🌟 Proactive Learning: Making Time for Learning and Improvement

In both crises and major programs, learning is often touted as important, but it is frequently neglected due to time constraints. As leaders, we must prioritize carving out the necessary time and space for meaningful learning. Learning should not be an afterthought; rather, it should occur in real-time, enabling continuous improvement. By leading by example, we can ensure that the essential knowledge acquisition happens throughout the program or crisis response.

🌟 Red Teaming: Challenging the Main Team's Perspective

One valuable technique that has emerged during the pandemic is the concept of red teaming. By creating an alternative group within the main delivery team, fresh perspectives and diverse insights can be introduced. Red teaming helps challenge the main team's thinking, break away from groupthink, and foster innovation. Those directly involved in the response play a critical role in providing constructive challenges and unique viewpoints.

🌟 Conclusion: Improving Major Program Leadership Skills

The past months have been challenging, but they have also provided an opportunity for growth and improvement in major program leadership. As we navigate the COVID-19 response and plan for the future recovery phase, it is vital to incorporate the lessons learned. Major programs will be pivotal in leading the country's recovery, making it imperative that our leadership skills continue to evolve and adapt. Together, we can seize this chance to enhance how we deliver major programs and set new standards for the decade to come.

Highlights:

• Effective leadership is crucial in times of crisis and major program delivery.
• Leading a crisis response and leading a major program share similarities.
• Sense making involves understanding the needs and challenges of the team and stakeholders.
• Meaning making is about communicating and motivating the team based on sense making.
• Adapting to uncertainty and time pressure is essential in crisis responses and program delivery.
• Proactive learning enables continuous improvement and should be prioritized.
• Red teaming brings fresh perspectives and challenges the main team's thinking.
• Learning from experiences is vital in improving major program leadership skills.

FAQ:

Q: What is the role of a program leader? A program leader oversees the implementation and management of a major program, ensuring its success by coordinating efforts, leading teams, and making critical decisions.

Q: Why is sense making important in crisis situations? Sense making helps leaders understand the needs and challenges faced by the team and stakeholders. It provides valuable insights for effective decision-making and ensures a comprehensive understanding of the situation.

Q: How can leaders motivate their teams during a crisis response? Leaders can motivate their teams by effectively communicating the purpose and meaning behind their actions. By connecting with the team on an emotional level and inspiring them with the larger goal, leaders can instill motivation and commitment.

Q: What is the significance of proactive learning? Proactive learning involves dedicating time and effort to continuous improvement and knowledge acquisition. By actively seeking opportunities to learn and applying those lessons in real-time, leaders can enhance their decision-making and drive better outcomes.

Q: How does red teaming contribute to effective decision-making? Red teaming brings in diverse perspectives and challenges the main team's thinking. By providing constructive criticism and alternative viewpoints, red teaming helps avoid groupthink and fosters innovation in decision-making processes.

Q: How can major program leadership skills be improved? Improving major program leadership skills requires a commitment to ongoing learning and reflection. By incorporating the insights gained from crisis responses, leaders can adapt their approaches, enhance their decision-making capabilities, and set new standards for delivering major programs.