Hey Reader

Earlier this week I came across a tweet that's got me thinking about leadership in ways that might just flip your playbook upside down.

Consider this: You're the leader. Say, the Head-Coach, Manager or Sporting Director, and suddenly, the shit has hit the fan. You're faced with a crisis.

What happens next? What's your go-to response?

If you're like most leaders, you might be tempted to dive right in in and start issuing orders to sort things out.

But hold on. Let's investigate the UK Army's playbook and see if we can't learn a thing or two about crisis leadership.

The tweet in question comes from the British Army Leadership X account, and I found it thought provoking. They're talking about how in a crisis, the best leaders don't immediately start shouting commands.

Instead, they take a beat, assess the situation, and then – here's the differentiator – they ask questions.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Paul, mate, have you lost it? You know the story as well as anyone…we don't have time for 20 questions when the ship's going down!"

But hear me out. This isn't about playing Sherlock Holmes; it's about being a smart, reflexive leader who knows how to navigate choppy waters.

Let’s take a look at what it could look like…….

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Seize The Moment...

I’m not suggesting that this is empirical; but if you’re open to learning about good practices that work well in other performance environments then here’s what I think this approach could look like for you this week:

1. The Power of Pause: When shit hits the fan, our instinct is to act fast. But sometimes, the best action is a momentary inaction. It's like that split second before you make a crucial play – you need to read the field before you make your move.
2. Question Everything: By asking questions, you're not just gathering info. You're empowering your team, showing them you value their input. It's like turning your entire squad into a think tank and tapping into all that compounded experience and wisdom.
3. Collective Intelligence: Has there been times when you immersed into the creative process with your team around important factors like designing set-piece plays? That's the magic of tapping into your team's collective brainpower.
4. Avoid Tunnel Vision: When things hit fever pitch, it's easy to get fixated on one solution. Questions help you zoom out and see the bigger picture. It's like having a drone view of the battlefield instead of being stuck in the trenches.
5. Build Trust: When you ask for input, you're telling your team, "I trust you." Would you disagree that trust is one secret sauce that turns a good team into a great one?

Now, I can already hear some of you pushing back, "But Paul, we don't have time for this ‘kumbaya circle’ in a real crisis!"

Fair point.

But here's the thing – this isn't about being gimmicky or playing with in-vogue or new-age leadership tactics; it's about being a smart, adaptive, responsible leader who’s taking control.

Think of it like this: You're not just a head-coach or manager; you're a conductor. Your job isn't to play every instrument; it's to bring out the best in each player and create a symphony of success.

So I thought about it a little and here's a quick guide to crisis questioning:

• Start with "What do we know?" This grounds everyone in facts, not panic.
• Follow up with "What don't we know?" This identifies gaps and prevents assumptions.
• Ask, "What resources do we have that could meet this challenge?" This gets everyone thinking creatively.
• Finally, "What's our next best move?" This focuses on action, not just analysis.

Remember, this isn't about abdicating your leadership. You're still the captain of this ship. But by asking the right questions, you're navigating with a full crew, not just your own compass.

In many ways it resembles the “5i” process for smarter leadership that I shared in this video on my YouTube channel a while back.

That being said, let's get real for a second. This approach isn't always easy. It takes guts to admit you don't have all the answers. It takes discipline to pause when everything in you is screaming to act. But that's what separates the good leaders from the great ones.

I've seen this play out in my own career. There was this one time... well, let's just say it involved a huge match, a delayed start, and a few players who began to feel ill at the venue because of something they ate. My first instinct was to start barking orders. But I took a breath, gathered the team, and started asking questions. Long story short, we not only solved the crisis but ended up actually embracing the chaotic situation and turning it to our advantage as an opportunity to rise above the mess we found ourselves in.

So, here's a challenge, next time you're faced with a crisis, big or small, try this approach. Take a breath, ask questions, and tap into the collective genius of your team. You might just be surprised at the solutions you uncover.

Remember, in the world of sports leadership, sometimes the best form of attack is a good set of questions.

Because any shit situation will remain just that until we seize the moment and turn it into something else.

Thanks for reading - 2 quick things (i) if you're curious about my work in 1-1 and/or small group settings please check my work over at https://www.theleaders.coach/ and (ii) if there is some topic or subject you'd like to see covered in an upcoming newsletter then please email me at paul@theleaders.coach

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