“Effective leadership: a comparative analysis of two types of leaders in a crisis situation on a model situation. The Role of a Leader in Crisis Leadership in Crisis Situations Articles

T. Bazarov, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Lomonosov Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov

Two years ago, while completing a course in Psychology of Management for 3rd year students of the Department of Psychology at Moscow State University, I found a surprising consonance with my thoughts with the approach and research described by Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas in their wonderful book How to Become Leaders: Next Generation Management ". - M.: Williams Publishing House, 2006.

In connection with the topic under discussion, I will note what the authors and I agreed on. Further - not a quote, but my understanding of the point of view of the authors.

There are major cultural differences between leadership in the past and today. The old paradigm of leadership, expressed by the motto "command and control", is clearly outdated. Today, orders are being replaced by an understanding of management as joint creativity and cooperation. Chaos is the reality in which a modern leader has to live and create, and the ability to live in it is necessary condition leadership in our time. "If you're not confused, you won't understand what's going on." In a sense, the difference between old and new leadership methods is the difference between golf and surfing. You need to catch a wave of constant changes and stay on it, even if you can not see either the shore or the sky.

The key to success is the ability to adapt (assessing the situation and seizing opportunities). Trouble as a test - in joy. “Experience is not something that happens to a person. It's how he deals with what happens to him." - Aldous Huxley In a period of constant change, when the threat of layoffs is “hanging” around, and employees continue to fight for jobs, trying to show qualifications and prove their dedication, each manager has to quickly make difficult decisions, and the success of the organization largely depends on these decisions.

The immediacy of a person's reaction to external circumstances is often caused by an external stimulus and the "automatic readiness" of the subject to respond. The success of the answer in this case depends on the "experience" of the person who has proven his adequacy in past positive results. And what to do in a completely unfamiliar situation, for which there are no ready-made solutions, and therefore there is no “successful” experience? In this case, the concept of "situationalness" comes to the rescue - as a person's ability to study, analyze a situation that is new to him and act in accordance with new circumstances. Thanks to these actions, new knowledge and new experience appear.

The initial postulates of the situational approach to managing people under conditions of uncertainty are based on the belief that the circumstances faced by a modern manager are diverse and uncertain. Without analyzing the changes and understanding the context of the situation, it is absolutely impossible to properly manage and rely on the effectiveness of their actions. The formulation of an organization's strategy usually includes forward-looking actions in a situation of change, which (actions) in themselves are nothing more than change factors. This is of little relevance to situations requiring adaptation or reorganization, since in these cases the organization changes in response to external influences. However, in cases where the source of change is within the organization, strategic actions towards integrative and developmental processes become key.

WHAT SHOULD A LEADER DO?

Work on an incentive system where each employee, especially those directly influencing the financial result, will understand what his assessment and wage. Task: to create such a system of stimulation and motivation, thanks to which employees will develop and seek internal resources to increase your personal effectiveness.

To educate in our employees healthy ambitions and loyalty to the company, exactingness to their professionalism, responsibility for the result and at the same time respect and support for each other. On the part of the leader of the company, openness and dedication are required in order to achieve a common result. The current situation is a unique opportunity to part with unsuccessful employees that every company has. At the same time, it is necessary to increase attention to key employees of the organization, to create for them the most favorable conditions for work and development, including giving more responsibility.

It is impossible to refuse personnel development programs. Of course, they must change their format: focus on internal trainers, practical training in areas of activity that are critical for business, and the use of distance learning. It is necessary to maintain the level of staff commitment, for which it is necessary to develop a system internal communication. Employees must understand what is happening in the company and how the company's anti-crisis program is being implemented, and most importantly, they must accept the changes that are made during the period of new opportunities.

The most important aspect of the situational approach to change is the involvement of people in this process. It's not about how to overcome resistance to change on the part of employees. The main question is how to create the conditions for people working in the organization to become key factor ongoing changes - their initiators, co-authors and implementers. There is no doubt that only people can be the main source and resource of all organizational transformations.

Modern crisis management is in search of effective solutions and is constantly changing. Understanding the opportunities and limitations of today's implementation concepts organizational change allows you to approach change professionally.

WHERE TO BEGIN?

As for the position of the top management personnel(according to our study), then in conditions of uncertainty they tend to adhere to the following rules:

1. Do not violate the traditional business logic (focus all your decisions and actions on efficiency, the measure of which is profit).
2. Don't let the situation get out of control for a moment. Constantly “draw” the contours of a changing situation.
3. Respond instantly to the slightest change in significant aspects of the situation.
4. Experiment “on the fly” by building a very short “feedback loop” (sometimes in the form of a “thought” experiment).
5. Do not delegate or entrust the solution of any issues related to your business (from operational current to strategic perspective) to anyone.

This implies:

Conduct an analysis (audit) of business processes, exclude actions and functions that do not lead to the required results, abandon excessive bureaucratization, change job descriptions.

Implement the company's strategic plan. Introduce a system of monthly, quarterly planning and evaluation of results against key goals and indicators for each employee.

Keep in mind that a crisis manager is not so much a leader who owns business technologies, but a leader who can inspire others. He needs to be able to daily create a positive environment around himself and an “atmosphere of victory and success” in the current situation. That is, at every moment of time this person differs from all others in that he turns uncertainty into opportunities!

Dismiss employees who demonstrate average results. Retrain talented employees due to the closure of some projects, the abolition of functions and the optimization of business processes. The current situation is a good illustration of the fact that the key to success is the ability to adapt. This skill is based on a real assessment of the situation and the use of hidden opportunities.

In essence, the theme of the crisis is closely related to the problem of activity, behavior and states of a person in a situation of uncertainty. For psychology, as you know, this topic is not new, one can even say that this topic has “deep roots”. Can it be argued that today we (methodologically, conceptually, instrumentally) lack something from what psychology has already explored and proposed in relation to this area.

It is clear that the contribution of psychology to understanding the characteristics of a person in a situation of uncertainty and change cannot be reviewed in a short commentary. However, let's try to take a small step, "leaning" on the mighty shoulder of V.P. Zinchenko. To do this, we will take as a basis a fragment of his article “Tolerance for uncertainty: news or psychological tradition?” from the collection "A Man in a Situation of Uncertainty". - M., 2007. Let's start with a quote that deserves to be put in an epigraph: "The end of uncertainty, the attenuation, albeit seemingly absurd interactions, is death, and the end of certainty, albeit seemingly superintelligent, is the beginning of a new life" (with . twenty).

Have psychology explored ways to overcome uncertainty? If so, what deserved the status of "be described"? Let's start with option number 1. “The easiest way to get rid of uncertainty is to postulate certainty, even predestination. These can be instincts, reflexes (even a goal reflex and a freedom reflex), fate, sexual desires, the desire for death, etc.” (p. 21). From here I see two big pieces of advice. The first. “If it is not clear what is around the corner, determine for yourself what is there. And act accordingly." Associatively I hear a consonance with a well-known: "A bad decision is better than no decision." Second. “If it is not clear what is around the corner, then surrender to instincts, the “call” of nature, something that is “deep in you”. Here I hear something else, but also well known: “If you don’t know what to do, surrender to the will of the Almighty!”.

Option No. 2. “... In the organization of behavior, the importance of choice is great ... readiness for choice” (p. 22). Of course, this method behavior in a situation of uncertainty (not deliverance, but, apparently, overcoming) is much more difficult. If only because to describe its implementation, the author uses a lot of psychological and not quite psychological phenomena. This is a “basic sense of trust” in the world and in the success of one’s activity (E. Erickson), and “post-editing of signs” (V. N. Toporov), and “postscript of thought” (I. Brodsky).

Which of these tips? First, be prepared to choose under equally likely conditions. That is, be ready to compare and choose. The act of choice itself is more important than subsequent reflection, since the result of this very reflection may be of interest either for the formation of readiness for subsequent elections, or for self-therapy (self-justification).

Option No. 3. “Apparently, the main “tool” for overcoming uncertainty is meaning” (pp. 26-27). This is where, apparently, reasoning about different paradigms becomes relevant: optimism - pessimism or romanticism - pragmatism. What can psychology advise here? Is it really “know thyself” again? And if so, in what edition this time? Or maybe try to understand what is the meaning of what is happening? Understand uncertainty? To endow it with meanings (your own) or comprehend its meaning (if it has one)?

Option #4. “A more reliable means of minimizing uncertainty is making a meaningful decision and taking action! More precisely, the determination to act or the will to act, giving rise to free action, deed, "responsible unity" of thinking and deed" (p. 31). Okay, but what does "free action" mean? Before advising someone to be "free", you need to understand what this very freedom means in a situation of uncertainty? Or at least identify certain criteria or indicators by which your interlocutor could build his own “route of understanding”. From the point of view of a meaningful decision: start “from” what? Based on what? That is, if the meaningfulness of my decision is based on attributing the reality of my own understanding, then I will form my own attitude, most likely, on this basis. But it is precisely here that the reason that precedes my real actions and deeds is hidden. Isn't "determination" an irrational category, but not in the sense of madness, but in the sense of opposition to the rational? Or maybe it removes the notorious contradiction between affect and intellect? But then the advice of psychology will be of a very esoteric nature.

Freedom - this is my inner certainty in understatement, a unique state that precedes a single and precise (in spatio-temporal terms) action. Why single? Because any act, like any event in a person's life, like his life itself, are single. They never were before and never will be. Why accurate? Because there will be no other opportunity for me to do this.

Thus, psychology advises a leader in a crisis or situation of uncertainty the following:

# 10 (22) October 2004

OWN BUSINESS /// WORKSHOP ///

Anti-crisis PR... within the company

Crises happen in the life of any enterprise, organization or firm. And how an organization withstands these blows of fate determines its viability and success. Few places say that in a crisis it is necessary to control the minds of the employees of the organization itself. How it's done?

In a difficult situation for the company, the manager especially needs the qualities of a strong and intelligent leader.

AGAINST TROUBLES IN A "LITTLE COUNTRY"
Anti-crisis PR of an organization is an already established professional module in the activities of PR agencies and departments. As a rule, it is about building or - sometimes - saving the company's reputation in the outside world.
And what is being done to save the staff of the enterprise itself from collapse? Unfortunately, here the set of measures is rather meager and monotonous. Most often, management focuses on debugging internal corporate communications: publishes a corporate newspaper, opens a company website (Internet communications), arranges corporate events- in other words, joint gatherings or general entertainment. But in a crisis, the most urgent, in our opinion, is the problem of neutralizing the negative psychological states of employees.
An organization in crisis is like a small country that can fall into dangerous turmoil. Employees feel completely defenseless, driven by fate, they are haunted by the specter of poverty. As a result of such moral devastation, people cease to work with full dedication. There is a formation of an orientation towards leaving the company - employees begin to look for another job. going on sharp drop performance due to internal psychological imbalance. This must not be allowed.
In accordance with the work of psychological defense mechanisms, negative emotions can be transferred from one coordinate to another. If the minds of the company's employees are not controlled, then economic problems threaten to move into the area of ​​political or ethnic coordinates. In the absence of mechanisms for the release of negative voltage, it can be channeled into destructive actions that violate the psychological state of the employee, the stability of the organization. Those who worked in the defense industry in the early 90s remember how this happens.
But how to avoid such intra-corporate turmoil?

THE "BRIGHT FUTURE" FACTOR
In addition to the constant internal PR, aimed at the formation of a corporate spirit, in crisis or pre-crisis situations at the enterprise, it is advisable to conduct a special, preventive PR campaign. By preparing changes in mass behavior in advance, it makes crises manageable. Preventive psychological measures, in our opinion, involve the use of technologies for the formation of a positive emotional and semantic context in the organization. Let's highlight the most effective of them.
Technology of "new goals" is the first remedy for a corporate crisis.
People need to be shown the light at the end of the tunnel. We need periodic input of positive information of various scope - about potential investors and new markets, about new technologies that will save the business, and opportunities for employees to improve their skills. At the heart of such technology is a long-known psychological mechanism: positive well-being is achieved when people see a positive perspective to strive for.
On the one hand, the leader of the organization himself should create the image of a bright future in his speeches. However, knowing about the persistent distrust of the authorities in today's Russia, it is worth using other channels of influence - indirect ones. Information about new target settings can be entered using the opinions of the most authoritative (reference) people in the company. An important role is also played by the spread of rumors about an imminent exit from the crisis and a breakthrough to new frontiers (rumorological channels). At the same time, situational updating of target settings should not contradict those strategic directions of development that are indicated in the company's mission. However, in some cases (in an acute crisis situation), a radical renewal of goals is also possible.
The use of this technology will help maintain a balance of positive and negative emotions in the organization.

DID YOU SIGN UP AS A VOLUNTEER?
Firms, enterprises, companies use both hard economic and other, softer forms of influence on their team. The whole question is how they do it, how they combine different technologies for working with personnel, with what efficiency?
Information about updating goals, meeting new ones possible prospects does not yet mean their actual setting and use. The anti-crisis technology of "new goals" has a short duration. Therefore, one more means of controlling the consciousness of subordinates is needed.
"Technology of Participation" involves the gradual formation of motivation among employees to participate in the joint overcoming of the crisis. That is, people need to be convinced that we can get out of the crisis through joint efforts. For example, the young Soviet government did this by releasing the poster “Have you signed up as a volunteer?”. Everything must be done to convince people that they are a single team, that the cause is common.
At the same time, negative crisis energy is translated into a positive context of joint support and work. Employees of the company are included in the situation of "participation" from the moment of active discussion of a number of innovative programs as a preventive measure to overcome the crisis. Let people speak out and put forward their proposals. The leader must listen to them, notice the most active and offer them the authority to implement their undertakings. Further semantic transformation of consciousness takes place within the framework of delegating responsibility and supporting new initiative projects.
And there are some little secrets. Best of all, the technology of participation works if the team is presented with the image of an “external enemy” with whom they must fight for their future. Who can be such an enemy? Almost everything is good here. On the one hand, it is possible to form in the minds of employees the image of insidious and ruthless competitors. On the other hand, there are images of incompetent, corrupt government officials who are ready to do everything to bankrupt our wonderful company, clearing the way for competitors. The factor of a common external threat consolidates employees, forms centripetal vectors of motivation, makes them put up with “temporary” hardships and difficulties.

THE LEADER FACTOR
But all these measures are worthless if the third technology is not turned on - "Leader Behavior" . The leader factor, if you will.
In a situation of crisis in the perception of employees, as a rule, the image of the manager as a successful leader deteriorates. After all, it is he who automatically becomes responsible for all the troubles of the company. Here again, analogies with the country are appropriate. What does the head of an enterprise entering into a crisis need? In order to maintain the balance of positive and negative emotions in the organization, the behavior of the leader should increase power ambitions, emphasize the strength of his Self, responsibility and competence. He must become a stern but just father, protection and support, a strong hand, a light in the window, a genius and luminary of all sciences. And you can easily find analogues of such psycho-technologies in the history of your native country.
An effective leader in a crisis situation demonstrates the preservation and strengthening of his power through the thoughtful use of psychological mechanisms. For example, in crisis situations, image technology works quite successfully. "the power of information" . Thus, information about the possession of some important information that can lead to a resolution of the crisis enhances the feeling of reliability of the leader in the eyes of subordinates. For example, the psychological well-being of subordinates will improve if they receive information that the leader has strong connections “at the top”, or a reliable investor has appeared. In these cases, it is advisable for the head of the company to participate in the trip of the head of the city, region, prime minister, president.
In general, more knowledge enhances the image of power. Therefore, even if there is no secret information in principle, it is necessary to indirectly (through the “leakage” of information through reference groups) show: “I have some kind of secret knowledge, some kind of “super information”, and this will bring us success.”
The psychological mechanism of strengthening the manager's power potential through technology works similarly. "power of competence" . Building up the leader's own competence and its active demonstration, connected with overcoming crisis phenomena, is what is needed.
For example, holding a research and production city, regional, industry conference on the basis of an enterprise. The positive image of the leader will be significantly strengthened if the new, most modern knowledge. It is also effective to refer to the manager's past positive experience when he acted as a successful anti-crisis manager. The main thing is to emphasize your competence, compliance with the highest professional standards.
It works well for the manager to attract new competent advisers. This also has a beneficial effect on the image of a leader in the eyes of employees and brings a sense of reliability and security.
These technologies, alas, also only temporarily increase the potential of power. But if you use them systematically and at the same time really take the company out of the crisis, then you really get a high level of support. The image of a strong leader without real confirmation is nothing. Compare the algorithm for using the described psychological tricks F.D. Roosevelt, I.V. Stalin - and Saddam Hussein.

YOUR "IMPACT TEAM"
Controlling the minds of subordinates in a crisis situation, you must use directed behavior of members of the reference group and leaders of influence groups .
Any social group (including a company) has an organizational and socio-psychological structure: it has informal leaders, various microgroups that create special semantic and emotional spaces in the organization. Effective group dynamics is maintained by maintaining positive sentiment and neutralizing the negative influence of the minority. In his actions, the leader always relies on trusted and reliable associates and assistants - his "influence teams" .
In a situation of crisis, the image of a manager can be significantly strengthened due to reference (authority, the ability to influence the formation of an opinion). Technology "reference" involves a more active, and in some cases - targeted use of the influence of these groups and authorities on other employees. As a rule, these are indirect methods of influence in the form of remarks, remarks, conversations in smoking rooms, etc. That is, during informal communication employees, where they discuss actual problems days and moods and opinions are formed, the influence of reference persons is most effective.

FIGHT AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE MOODS
A crisis is a situation full of stress factors. The most severe time limit, the multiply increased cost of an erroneous decision equate a crisis situation with a combat one. And in war - as in war. We have to strictly neutralize the influence of the non-constructive minority - alarmists, whiners, capitulators - on the rest of the team, on the situation as a whole.
Neutralization of non-constructive tendencies (minorities) - the most important technology of anti-crisis psycho-technologies within the company.
In a crisis, as a rule, the influence on the general mood of people with low resistance to stress increases. They infect everything with their negative emotionality. large quantity employees. Neutralizing alarmists is the most difficult task. To solve it, you can use a number of effective technologies.
Image neutralization involves the formation of negative images: "eccentrics", "emotionally unbalanced", "people with oddities", etc. The launch of these images nullifies the wave of discontent emanating from these people. An interesting example can be given here: in the Brezhnev years, in order to weaken the influence in Ukraine of the poet I. Drach, a well-known nationalist, his supporters (through the works of the competent authorities) were nicknamed “drachists”, throwing this nickname into society through informal channels. It worked great.
Technology "role transformation" involves a temporary approach of these people to the leader or to his immediate environment. That is, you are transferring him from the role of a “negativist” and “critic” to the role of an “assistant” and “advisor” with the expansion of powers. In this case, there is a canalization of negative energy into the mainstream of positive action to fulfill assignments and tasks.
In conclusion, we note that the described technologies are effective as a means of relieving hotbeds of tension only when the crisis is overcome by really real and effective measures. If this is not the case, then psychology degenerates into empty "PR" games, eventually suffering complete bankruptcy. This should be remembered by the leaders of both companies and structures much more high level. But it is still important to remember that the crisis is within us. Outside - only the conditions for its emergence and growth.

An organization in crisis is like a small country that can fall into dangerous confusion. This can't be allowed

An effective leader in a crisis situation demonstrates the preservation and strengthening of his power through the thoughtful use of psychological mechanisms.

Lyudmila Stepnova
Doctor of Psychology

A pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects the wind to change.
The leader turns the sails into the wind.
John Maxwell

It is normal for people to resist during times of change. It's one thing to talk about them over a cup of coffee, and quite another when they burst into life without a prior call. All that remains is to spread your arms wide to the sides, protecting your familiar and already beloved territory of comfort.

Answers to the question “why is everyone waiting for change, but no one wants to change?” many, but the essence is one - people resist the new, because they are afraid of the unknown. Oddly enough, but even the worst present is still dearer and more familiar than a good future in the future. And fear, as they say, has big eyes.

Resistance, of course, is followed by acceptance of the situation, but before that, there is a difficult path to go through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining and depression. We wrote earlier about

At each stage, iron and patience, on the part of the leader in the first place, and time will come in handy, and we know that time is money, especially when it comes to big business.

Changes have long been not an unexpected attack, but a completely familiar and even necessary state for the development of business and people - in stability, with all its pluses and merits, there is no growth and development. Therefore, being ready for the new is the main rule of leaders responsible for managing people and.

Being prepared means doing preparatory work with a team of people in the company and discussing upcoming events, reactions and the future before the first signs of coming changes appear. This is the only way to mitigate and speed up the process of resistance as much as possible. After all, the sooner people accept changes in their work processes, the sooner the first results will appear.

And here the main thing is not to make a fatal mistake - not to suppress people's resistance by force and through aggressive actions. Such an approach will certainly lead to sad and unfavorable consequences for all.
It has been proven more than once in practice that the directive style of management in a period of change not only does not work, but also worsens an already difficult situation. Actually, like any other of the managerial models during this period, it is not stable and can become

The right decision for a manager would be to switch from a functional manager to a leader mode - go beyond the stable system, look at the situation from different angles, consider all possible and impossible options for action, take responsibility, ensure sufficient communication with a team of people - involve, inspire, listen and share information.

A leader is a person who sees more than others see, who sees further than others see, and who notices before others notice. /Leroy Ames/

Unlike a manager, whose functions are focused on maintaining existing system and achieving planned targets by directing the team in the right direction, the leader inspires and motivates the team to look for new ways out of the crisis, helps in developing new skills and charges with positive energies, without which it is difficult to survive even the simplest crisis.

The leader acts openly, the boss behind closed doors. The leader leads and the boss controls. /Theodore Roosevelt/

In times of change, people need information more than ever about what is happening, what will happen and what will happen as a result. And, the most important thing that worries people is the reason for what is happening and how the results will affect them personally. Therefore, the leader pays special attention to internal communications.

In times of change, information is a valuable resource. And the more information, the more confident and calm people feel. As a result, there is no fear of the unknown and a softer and faster transition to the stage of acceptance. Therefore, the task of the leader is to create communication platforms and involve each member of the team in the discussion. As a result, the involvement of the team in the company's processes, which is necessary during the period of changes, will also appear.

And only after each team member has accepted the changes and reconfigured to work according to the new rules, the manager can switch back to the manager mode - system and guide.

Head of TD University Andrey Stanchenko

As a rule, most newly created corporations do not have a clearly defined organizational structure. Its founder(s) take on the vast majority of management functions. In Russian reality, as a rule, at the initial stage of the activity of a new company, the financial and accounting function (accountant) is clearly distinguished, which is associated with the conditions determined by the current legislation. The lack of a clearly defined structure of newly created corporations is explained by the following reasons:

* At the initial stage of functioning, there is no financial opportunity to hire highly qualified narrow functional specialists.

* Usually, new business does not require a clear allocation of certain management functions due to the small scale of production of goods, works, services.

* The founder(s) of a new business in the vast majority of cases take responsibility for the success or failure of "their" business and, therefore, take on most of the functions. In addition, there is also a purely psychological fear of business founders to entrust the performance of managerial functions to "foreign" people - hired workers. Managers are not yet ready to carry out, perhaps, the most important function of the top management of any organization - the effective delegation of authority and responsibility.

* Strongly developed direct interpersonal relationships, including between the leader and his subordinates.

* There is constant direct interaction between employees of all levels of subordination.

All of the above, as a rule, does not apply to those enterprises that are created on the basis of existing structures.

So, how does a business function at the initial stage of its existence?

In the context of a relatively small scale of activity and the number of transactions performed, information is available to any employee. There is no rigid fixation of rights, duties and responsibilities for a particular employee. Even the presence job descriptions in fact, it is a kind of formal moment. In practice, employees do not fulfill their formally assigned official duties. Everyone does everything. There is the maximum possible degree of interchangeability of employees.

Each employee has the opportunity at any time to get in direct contact with any of the leaders of the organization, including directly to the first head. Subordination, if it exists, is expressed in a rather mild form and manifests itself in most cases only when disputes or conflict situations arise.

At the same time, the head (he is also the owner or one of the co-owners of the organization) assumes the function of making final decisions, including even in those rather specific professional areas in which the competence of this head is doubtful. Of course, in the early stages of business development, the need for complex management and financial decisions is extremely rare, and the risks of negative consequences wrong decisions for business with financial point vision are small, since the resource base of a young corporation, as a rule, is poorly developed. Although it should be noted that from a managerial point of view, already at this early stage of development of the corporation, incorrect management decisions can lead to the death of the business.

However, with the development of the corporation, the growth of its resource potential and the scale of the tasks to be solved, the need to increase the number of functional specialists, the growth of their qualifications increases more and more.

First stage. At the very beginning of the existence of a corporation, its owners may not have money at all to pay employees, and the founders of a corporation work in it "for the idea" and possible income in the future.

Second stage. If the business is at least "entrenched" in the market, then there is both a need and an opportunity to hire staff. At the same time, the priorities in hiring personnel are determined either by the personal trusting relationship between the employee and the employer, or by the low cost of hired labor. In the first case, the staff is connected by family, friendly relations with employers and is ready to work for the sake of future income (and in this sense it is close to the owners). Quite naturally, there are no guarantees that among relatives and friends who are ready "for a penny" to help promote a business from scratch, there will be a sufficient number of professionals - specialists in certain functional areas. In the second case cheap price of the hired workforce itself speaks of the level of competence and practical work experience of the hired worker. A high-level professional is in demand and will not work "for a penny".

However, there are exceptions to the rule here too. If in large industrial centers a good professional always has the opportunity to choose an employer, then in many places (for example, one city-forming enterprise for the whole city), the supply of high-level professional services can significantly exceed the demand for them.

Third stage. The business has developed so much that it has not only the need for highly qualified personnel performing certain managerial functions, but also increased resource opportunities for high pay for the work of good specialists. If a business decides to continue saving on staff, then at best it will stop in its development, and at worst it will simply die.

leadership crisis . It is at this stage that the crisis of the organizational development of the corporation arises, which is characteristic of the stage of its creation and the beginning of functioning.

In the process of business development and expansion of the scope of activities, the process of managing a company becomes more complicated. On the initial stage plays a leading role entrepreneurial activity leader. However, as the organization grows, the company's position in the market stabilizes, the leader-entrepreneur (founder) can no longer independently cope with the abundance of managerial functions, the implementation of which is a prerequisite for further business development. As we have already said, there is not only a need, but also the possibility of hiring highly qualified personnel. Connections become more complicated, information flows increase, response time to impact slows down external factors. More and more professional decisions are required. At the same time, the hired specialists-professionals are actually deprived of the opportunity to make independent decisions in their field of competence. Everything revolves around the leader-entrepreneur. At the same time, the qualifications of the decision maker, as a rule, are lower than the level of qualifications of specialists implementing specific functions.

There is a so-called crisis of leadership. Its essence lies in the fact that the founder of a business cannot agree that his subordinates, working for his own money, allow themselves not only to disagree, but also to challenge the correctness of the decisions of their management in specific professional areas.

At the same time, the leader-manager, continuing to focus on entrepreneurial beginnings in the management of a corporation, does not want (or cannot) agree that the time has come to deal with management. The company has already gained certain positions in the market. Of course, this does not mean that the business should refuse to expand its expansion. But the priority task is still to retain the "captured territory", including as a "bridgehead" for further development. The entrepreneur, by nature, is primarily an "invader".

It is at this stage that the management of the corporation must show itself as good managers, i.e. create conditions under which others (hired personnel) will "pull chestnuts out of the fire with their own hands", but for the corporation. This means that the staff should not only receive appropriate material remuneration, but also have the right to influence the decision-making process, and in their field of activity and make such decisions in some cases. At the same time, the higher the level of qualification of employees, the more important for them the opportunity to independently influence the situation in business becomes.

In fact, in most cases, the management of the corporation at this stage cannot break itself and agree that in the "brainchild" created and "put on its feet" by its efforts, part of the authority should be transferred to hired personnel.

Let's illustrate the leadership crisis with an example.

One extremely successful entrepreneur, X, had an amazing history of growing his businesses.

Every time, starting from scratch, he managed literally in six months to "unwind" any business he undertook. Having no money, but possessing undeniable talent, he negotiated with investors to raise funds for another business idea. Fully devoting himself to the implementation of the project, he achieved excellent financial results in the shortest possible time. At the same time, any of the new projects was in no way related to the previous ones in terms of the type of activity.

The saddest thing is that the organization went bankrupt after a maximum of four years, while in some cases the financial collapse had such consequences that entrepreneur X, in order to pay off the company's debts (and fulfill agreements, including gentlemen's with investors), was forced to sell his personal property.

However, we must pay tribute to his optimism and entrepreneurial talents, a maximum of a year after the next ruin, entrepreneur X was again "on horseback".

How and why did all this happen?

At the initial stage, the business "spun" thanks to the personal participation and initiative of entrepreneur X. This is natural - in the early stages of the organization's existence, it simply did not have the money to hire qualified personnel.

As each project progresses, entity, through which the business gained positions in the market, began to receive very serious incomes. In turn, the growth of resource potential provided opportunities to attract highly qualified specialists. At this stage of development, the salary of hired personnel exceeded (and justifiably) the average salary in the country by at least an order of magnitude.

It is quite natural that the level of training of specialists involved in the work in the organization and the degree of their self-esteem were quite high.

At the same time (which is a common occurrence at this stage of business development), intercompany relations were in the nature of exclusive loyalty to each other. Any employee had the right of direct and immediate access to the head of the organization. Addressing by name and patronymic was the rule only in the presence of outsiders; in everyday situations, the staff both addressed each other and the leader by name. Corporate parties were a fairly frequent occurrence and were held not due to the recommendations of the personnel manager, but on the personal initiative of the entrepreneur H.

However, any attempts to show initiative were immediately suppressed by entrepreneur X, who always performed the function of the sole executive body ( CEO) organizations. In all cases, his word was decisive. In private conversations, he justified his position as follows: “I am a professional businessman. I can “promote” a company from scratch and make money. I earn money and pay employees. , they start telling me what to do and how to do it. Eggs don't teach chicken! I don't pay them to make decisions for me."

The result is obvious. Regardless of what markets the next firm worked in, what types of activities it was engaged in, what sales volumes and incomes it achieved, the organization went bankrupt. At the same time, a clear signal that the collapse was approaching was the indicator of the number of personnel. As soon as the number of employees was within 10-15 people, the business ceased to exist.

This, in fact, is the essence of the crisis of leadership. The leader psychologically cannot reconcile himself to the fact that he is forced to surround himself with people at his own expense, who, each in his own professional field, are higher than the "founding father" and in terms of the function they perform are unconditional leaders in comparison with that person (with those people) who created the business, and fully bear the risk of losing it.

It would seem that the causes of the leadership crisis at the stage of creating and establishing a business are obvious. However, if you try to put yourself in the place of the same entrepreneur X, then the psychological basis for the emergence of a leadership crisis (the inevitable loss of positions in the preparation and decision-making on special functions) will be clear and humanly justified.

Despite the fact that the causes of the crisis of leadership at the initial stage of development of the organization are primarily psychological in nature, nevertheless, overcoming it requires the implementation of certain organizational measures and their legalization at the corporate level.

Annotation: The article is devoted to the disclosure of the specifics of the manifestation of leadership during the economic crisis. Leadership is considered as a management tool, a special type of managerial interaction based on the most effective combination of human qualities and various sources power to encourage people to

achieving common goals. In the article, the economic crisis is presented as a situation of special testing for the head and employees of the company; describes the features inherent in any leader, as well as the characteristics that are in demand from leaders during the economic crisis.

Keywords: Leadership, effective leadership, achievement of the organization's goals, ability to influence others, crisis, openness and honesty of the leader, innovative solutions, emotionally mature leaders, search for opportunities and a way out of a difficult situation, the desire to strengthen the position of the company.

Leadership issues are key to achieving organizational effectiveness. On the one hand, leadership is seen as having a certain set of qualities attributed to those who successfully influence or influence others. On the other hand, leadership is a process of predominantly non-coercive influence in the direction of achieving a group or company of its goals. The leader is able to create a new vision for solving a problem and, using his charisma, convey its meaning to his followers in a way that inspires and arouses their enthusiasm to take action to achieve the goals.

Management is the activity of coordinating the actions of people to achieve the goals of the organization, including planning, organizing, motivating and controlling the actions of people. Style management activities directly depends on the situation. In some of them, the manager achieves efficiency by structuring tasks, showing care and giving support, in others, he allows subordinates to participate in decisions. production problems, thirdly, painlessly changes style under pressure from superiors or circumstances. In any case, the leader must be able to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, as well as flexibly vary his behavior. In other words, a flexible management style is a tool in the hands of the head of the organization. Such a person must possess certain qualities, which in different situations are different, thanks to which he can gain authority, and employees recognize him as a leader.

Henry Mintzberg named eight basic qualities that a leader should have:

1. The art of being equal (to establish and maintain a system of relationships with equal people).

2. The art of being a leader (the ability to manage subordinates, to cope with all the difficulties and problems that come to a person along with power and responsibility).

3. The art of resolving conflicts (the ability to act as an intermediary between the two parties in the conflict, to resolve the troubles generated by psychological stress).

4. The art of processing information (the ability to build a communication system in the company, receive reliable information and evaluate it effectively).

5. The art of making non-standard managerial decisions (the ability to find problems and solutions in conditions where alternative courses of action, information and goals are unclear or doubtful).

6. The art of allocating resources in an organization (the ability to choose the right alternative, find the best option in a limited time and lack of other types of resources).

7. The gift of the entrepreneur (the ability to take justified risks and to introduce innovations in the organization).

8. The art of introspection (the ability to understand the position of the leader and his role in the organization, the ability to see what impact the leader has on the organization).

The strength of a leader lies in the ability to create a bright and positively motivating image of the future for a wide circle of people, to inspire confidence in the predominance of benefits over the risks and difficulties associated with a joint movement towards this future. To do this, the leader needs the gift of foresight, intuition, analytical and communication skills, a store of energy that will fall on others. All these qualities are especially pronounced in the most famous entrepreneurs, such as the founder Microsoft Bill Gates, who created the world standard software, Louis Gerstner, ex-president of IBM, who restructured the company and made the provision of services its main activity.

Given the above, we propose to consider leadership as a management tool or a specific type of management interaction based on the most effective combination of various human qualities and sources of power, aimed at encouraging people to achieve common goals.

It's no secret that the true essence of things and people is known in a crisis situation. A crisis is an event that can negatively affect both the company's activities and the entire industry. Economic crises constitute a special group of crisis situations that can be classified as developing crises (such as the 1998 default in Russia). In the economy, there is a "revaluation of values", a change in the proportions between sectors, industries, enterprises, workers. Such crises can brew for a long time but occur unexpectedly, leaving organizations little time to prepare, research, and plan. Economic crises are systemic in nature: they undermine the economic sustainability of companies as creators of values ​​and benefits for society, which, in turn, threatens the well-being of numerous counterparties of companies and society as a whole. Simultaneously with the economic crisis, a crisis of confidence is developing between counterparties, the fear of non-payments is growing, and the number of bankruptcies is growing.

The economic crisis is a kind of test for managers and employees. In difficult times, the company demonstrates how it corresponds to the values ​​that it declares, whether it is what it claims to be. In a crisis, it becomes clear who works in the company and who creates the appearance of vigorous activity. Among the companies on the market, it also becomes clear which companies really understand what they bring to their consumer and the whole world in their face, and which do not. Those companies that have nothing to rely on inside themselves, no real, and not hastily fabricated for show mission and values, leave the market. That is why the work of a company manager during a crisis is a long-term activity that ensures not only the survival of the company, but also its serious modernization. In a crisis, what is required is the same as in a period of recovery - effective leadership that combines the strategic nature of decisions with the effectiveness of execution.

In addition, the crisis complicates the situation due to the psychological state of people - both subordinates and leaders. Under crisis-induced stress, employees have a greater need for leadership than when the company is stable or growing. Employees are ready to sacrifice a significant part of their freedom and independence in exchange for what the leader gives - faith in the future, direction of movement, tools to achieve the goal. Many managers are unable not only to “add” leadership, but also to maintain leadership at the same level. Managers run away from leadership in times of crisis because, as employees, they get stressed out. The crisis dramatically changes the world in which they lived, the usual mental models and management techniques stop working, the level of uncertainty skyrockets - all this causes stress even for mature self-confident managers.

In order to be effective in times of crisis, the leader must have calmness, have emotional and intellectual balance, and “gain sight” in the situation that has arisen. If this does not happen, then he begins to imitate the actions of others, to portray violent activity or inaction, thinking that there really is no crisis, but there are some temporary difficulties. Companies announce downsizing, shutting down investment projects, close vacancies, cancel development programs. Executives work seven days a week, spend all the time in meetings, but at the same time do not change anything in their business model or in the services they offer to the market.

In times of crisis, those leaders who can combine attention to business with attention to the people involved in it are effective. At this time, the openness and honesty of the leader acquire special significance. These qualities will ensure him the trust of employees. For example, during a crisis, employees face an acute issue with dismissal. If the management keeps silent about information, then employees, seized by fear for their future, will not work productively, but will catch the “spawn of information”. Therefore, it is important for a leader to build top-down goals: set specific tasks; to get acquainted with the practice of work; explain the meaning of the work; evaluate the quality of work of subordinates; provide ideological information to facilitate the perception of goals. After all, if employees understand why the content of the work has changed and how it relates to the company's plans, they do their job better. If such information is not received, then it is produced locally and rumors and tensions are generated.

A crisis is a time for new ideas. It is in a crisis that the ability of leaders to think outside the box and look for new ways to solve a problem is important. Conceptual people see what others can't. They see patterns in data that at first glance appear disjointed, or notice things that analytical minds might miss. Such employees are needed in times of crisis, as they are able to find new, unexpected business opportunities. Dave Novak, who believed that Pizza Hut could be more than just a red-roofed restaurant chain, is a prime example of a highly conceptual thinker. He understood that the company was actually selling pizza, and deployed all the options for selling this product in addition to the existing one. The new business model included home delivery pizza, conveniently located pizza kiosks and, of course, famous restaurants.

Thus, to manage a company during a crisis period, emotionally mature leaders are needed - self-confident individuals who are not afraid of difficult situations and tasks, they do not panic and do not make hasty conclusions. Such people will look for opportunities and a way out of a difficult situation, as well as strive to strengthen the position of the company. A leader in a crisis is not an enthusiast who knows how to cut costs, and not an analyst who operates with numbers, but a person who knows how to find solutions to problems and new opportunities in an economic crisis.

Considering the above, let us designate the main characteristics that are inherent in the leader during the economic crisis. Firstly, he exudes optimism, that is, a sincere belief in the company's ability not only to overcome the crisis at its own expense, but to get out of it more successfully than others. This belief is based on a rethinking of the environment, the goals of the company, its business model, which the leader has already carried out or is actively conducting, involving others and talking about the results of the entire organization.

Secondly, the leader demonstrates the ability to put himself in the place of another person, to feel the way he feels. He boldly talks about the problems of subordinates, empathizes and shares his anxieties and experiences.

Thirdly, the leader demonstrates a combination of flexibility, adaptability and strategy. Effective Leaders very attentive to external environment, interpret the signals coming from it, actively seek feedback, based on the analysis of new information, make decisions and correct the actions of the company.

Fourthly, the leader not only creates psychological comfort for followers, but also provides them with tools and mechanisms to work in new conditions. He does not forget about his main role - creating more perfect company. With limited resources and opportunities, a leader develops people, processes and organizational competencies to make another leap to the top.

The crisis will not be able to prevent the achievement of the goal, if this goal exists, it is clear, understandable, achievable, and you know for sure that the company needs it. The crisis can change the original plans. But the strategic plan and goals have not changed. The crisis only changes tactics, the strategy remains unchanged. In order to survive, you need to change tactics, look for innovative solutions, the decisions made must be implemented faster than in normal times, you need to react and act quickly.

During the economic crisis, the management of the company is required to effective management which combines the strategic nature of decisions with the effectiveness of execution. But you also need to be able to trust those with whom you work together, otherwise it will not be possible to implement it, it is important to create a team of like-minded people who would share the idea of ​​business. That is why the leadership of the company in a crisis period requires emotionally mature leaders who are not afraid of difficult situations and tasks, they do not panic and do not make hasty conclusions. Such leaders will look for opportunities and ways out of difficult situations, as well as strive to strengthen the position of the company.

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