Fast Company

12 business leaders share how they lead their teams through a crisis.

Read full story at fastcompany.com.

The last several months were an unprecedented test for most organizations. The ability to take in the facts, make a plan, and lead the team forward has been essential for leaders.

Below, members of Fast Company Executive Board share the strategies and philosophies that help them lead their teams through a crisis and on to a brighter future.

GET COMFORTABLE WITH REACTING QUICKLY AND CHANGING PLANS

Having a quick reaction time and the ability to change my plans have been critical to me when handling a crisis—and sometimes even help me thrive. Building an organization with a culture of rapid experimentation can help you get comfortable with reacting quickly and changing plans. To iterate and learn quickly, I’ve practiced making fast decisions with a reasonable amount of conviction—based on a combination of my intuition and whatever evidence we can collect—testing that decision quickly, and then either going deeper or changing course based on the outcome. Seeking advice and feedback as well as changing our strategy, budget, and team quickly in the face of new information is part of our normal growth strategy and works well amid a crisis. – Sara de Zarraga, Flare