If it does not “kill you”, will only make you stronger. Be a War Time CEO.
Since I read it on the book “ The hard things about hard things “ from Ben Horowitz, I have made it one of my mostly used quotes, especially in the past times…
“If you are going to eat shit, don’t nibble!”
A Crisis comes and goes… some are tougher than other, some take time, others hit us fast, hard and unprepared. Fast, hard and unprepared, unfortunately, describes most of us on the crisis we are facing today. The worst thing is that we have little controle or knowledge of how long it will last or will it happen again. I Believe recovery will be more about data, than about a specific date.
This is a time for all of us to be “war time leaders“.
Leaders that stay strong, look for alternatives, react fast, keep a positive mindset and most of all adapts and prepares the business and teams to what may come ahead. We gain nothing in nagging all day, being anxious and valuing the negatives. We should all focus on any small positive thing you can find and feed on that. A negative mindset will not only bring you down, but it will drain any positivity you might have. So feed on the positive! Take the hit, adapt fast and move forward.
My great grandmother used to say:
“in times of war there are those who cry, but there others that sell handkerchiefs…”
So we all need to look around and see how we can adapt and look for the opportunities we can grab.
A Crisis is a time of difficulties, but also of opportunities for those who react fast, and focus on the solution.
Rebuild your company, make it as lean as possible, think and brainstorm with your teams about one thing:
“If this happens again, how can we be more prepared in terms of product, strategy, teams and finance?”
Maybe you need to take some tough calls, like cutting down on suppliers, even downsizing the team so you can have a leaner and more efficient business. But this is the time to do it. So do it fast! It is easier for all.
“A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” quote by General Patton
Once this is done, focus on some key questions, and rethink you market approach and strategy:
- How did your consumers habits change?
- What media channels are they consuming?
- How can you keep your costumers engaged with your brand?
- How can you deliver value to your consumers at this point of time?
- How can you join forces with other brands for both to gain visibility or add value to your consumers?
- Who are the brands that are engaging regularly and how can you learn from them?
Take this time to build a stronger brand, to get more visibility and market recognition.
This is a time to invest in Marketing, as people are spending more time web browsing, consuming more tv time and social media time. People open and read more newsletters. Use those channels to keep your brand as a top of mind.
These are a few of the strategies I used as a Leader, and more than that, I found in this crisis an opportunity that might change my future in a very positive way.
Try to find your own opportunity, don’t lower your arms and never give up. The economy needs us more than ever.
Leading in a time of crisis… if it does not “kill you”, will only make you stronger.
Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Move Forward!
