The only thing more challenging than being a leader is being a leader in a time of crisis. As much as we all like to think that we are good leaders, not everyone was born for this position. A leader should have a very clear set of skills that includes more than just team management. Personal skills and characteristics such as good communication, clear decision-making, and empathy are must-haves on the list of skills a leader should possess.

If you want to learn more about what it takes to guide a team in times of crisis, then you’re in the right place. Here are five skills that you should master if you want to be a good leader.

Agility

First, a good leader should be agile, capable of thinking and moving quickly to adapt to different situations. It is especially important for a leader to be aware that they cannot have all the answers during a crisis. They must be able to test different responses to situations, try new approaches, and learn from each new attempt at creating a solution. Another important aspect of agility is embracing failure and finding a way to refine your next steps.

Decision-making

A leader must be able to make decisions quickly and confidently, especially during a time of crisis. It is times like these that create pressure and insecurity among people who are put in charge of teams and organizations. While you cannot predict the future and the outcome of certain events, you should be able to make clear decisions based on data and evidence you have in front of you.

Delaying the decision-making process is not a characteristic of a good leader. Right now, the world needs leaders who are confident in their decisions and their ability to pick things up if they start falling apart.

Empathy

Without empathy, a leader is just a cold-hearted boss that no one likes having around. A good leader should be empathetic and able to connect with their colleagues on a more profound level. Forming a bond and a sense of deeper connection can make the team far more efficient and willing to work together, especially in a time of crisis. This is a challenging time not only for businesses but for individual employees as well. Having a leader who understands their current struggles can take a lot of weight off of employees’ shoulders.

Communication

One of the most important skills a good leader should possess is communication. Usually, a crisis brings along an overflow of information that leads to communication issues. It is the leader’s job to ensure the team’s communication stays on point, and avoid any disruption caused by inaccurate information.

As a good leader, you should have a clear vision of maintaining good communication, especially now that most of it has to be done online. It is your job to learn how to bypass digital communication challenges to adapt to the current situation.

Time management and prioritization

Last but not least, time management becomes even more critical during a crisis. As a leader, you should manage your own time properly and organize your team members and teach them how to master time management on their end. A big part of proper time management during a crisis is prioritization. It is essential to learn that not all goals can be achieved at the same time.

You can never do everything you envision unless you create an efficient long-term plan. By adequately prioritizing your tasks and goals, you will keep the team focused on the right things and thus help them achieve their milestone with ease. Besides prioritization, there should be a certain level of clarity when you are more than clear about the main objectives during a crisis.

A different type of crisis

While the main crisis we’re currently going through is this unpredictable global pandemic, it is also not the only issue we have to be worried about. The growing number of cybersecurity threats in the world makes it more than clear that we have another problem to deal with.

As a leader, you should also be aware of the potential security risks that your colleagues are facing online. Consider using a virtual private network to boost your online security (NordVPN free trial is a possible option to try out a VPN). Also don’t forget to keep your team members educated on the topic of trending cyber threats.