Leading in The Face of Personal Tragedy

We all face tragedy. No one is immune. Tragedy can take the form of death, financial loss, or health crisis to name a few. This can test a leader’s character and their effectiveness. I don’t wish tragedy on anyone. However, when personal tragedy strikes, it’s important for a leader to respond in a way that will ensure they emerge from it in a position of strength.  

I’ve had several employees face tragic situations such as personal loss. As their leader, I had to manage them through it.  Inevitably, my turn came. I recently lost my youngest brother to an illness. That was painful. What was even more painful was that he went to heaven only months after losing our dad.

One of my emotional supporters had to jolt me back from near depression after Dad’s passing. That experience helped me better handle the loss of my brother. It was and still is painful, but I know it’s only temporary. I also know that leaders must find the path through their pain.

Thank God, a leader can do much to lead strategically while grieving, or helping others with their grief.

How To Navigate Personal Tragedy

It’s important to navigate personal tragedy in a way that role models a healthy approach. My approach may not work for everyone, but leaders will find that it’s most effective to be intentional with their actions versus allowing emotions to drive their decisions.

The following actions will help position you to lead while experiencing loss and get on a path to victory.

Seek spiritual strength. The most critical element for Christ-centered leaders is their faith. Turning to your faith should be a first step. Psalm 29:11 (KJV) says, “The Lord will give strength unto his people; The Lord will bless his people with peace.”

Leverage emotional support. A loss can bring anxiety and a sense of uncertainty. It can even launch a leader into depression. Therefore, it’s important to have someone in your inner circle who provides emotional support. It’s someone who can listen with empathy and is concerned with your well-being.

Show vulnerability. Leaders are humans. It’s critical to balance leading the business and being human. Showing vulnerability encourages others to connect considerably deeper with you. That’s because you exhibit authenticity when being vulnerable.

Take time for self-care. Leaders should take time to grieve in their own way. However, they should also take time for self-care. Get out of the cycle of despair by doing something that stimulates your happy emotions, reduces anxiety, and discourages depression.

Understand what works for you. Everyone grieves differently. Know what gets you down and develop a counteractive strategy. A leader I know kept any discussion concerning his loss superficial (unless needed otherwise) to avoid an emotional meltdown. What worked for me was reminding myself that others are depending on me so I can’t get stuck. Apply what works for your unique situation.

Take action. Feeling sorrowful may be OK, but taking positive action is better. Consider taking steps to move forward with your emotions and life. Action is an antidote to despair.

Look for the silver lining. Find something to uplift you in the loss. For example, in the case of my brother’s passing, the pain becomes less when I focus on three things: How blessed I was to have experienced him, accept that his mission on earth was completed, and believe he’s now in heaven.

Seek professional help. Sometimes, the grief is too heavy a burden to overcome without professional help. That’s where you should leverage your HR resources and other employment benefits that may be available to you.

Why This is Important

Your actions can help you remain effective in the face of personal loss. There are many reasons why this is important.  However, here are a few worth mentioning.

• Knowing how to lead in the face of personal loss is good for your mental health.

• Emotions are elevated when experiencing a tragic situation. You will be more effective and make better decisions if your actions are intentional rather than emotional.

• Knowing how to lead through personal crises enables you to continue being effective by influencing and serving your organization.

• The most important job of a leader is to develop others. Successfully leading through personal loss allows you to develop a unique level of compassion and empathy to mentor and coach others through their crisis.

Leaders who are grounded in their faith, able to balance leading their business and being human, and are in touch with their emotions will demonstrate how to effectively lead through tragedy. This helps them stay on the path with their purpose and remain emotionally healthy.

A crisis can knock you off your feet. But any leader with resilience and the right tools can emerge from that crisis in a position of strength and poised for the future.

Empowered Leader Reflection

1. What is one tactic you use or have seen a leader successfully use to navigate personal tragedy?

2. Who do you know can benefit from this post right now?

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