Aviation Leadership during a Crisis
Introduction
Managers are typically faced with different situations in their line of management every day. It does not, therefore, come as a surprise to learn that at certain times they are faced with a crisis in their line of industry. A crisis can develop in many different forms unexpectedly. It could be a lack of utility service, natural calamity, white-collar crime, cyber-attack, terrorism, or a natural catastrophic event that is not favorable for business. A good example of a crisis is the current global pandemic caused by the covid-19 virus. While many companies have a crisis management plan, it is the leadership at the helm of the company that determines the execution. Decision making in the face of a disaster or emergency is a skill that managers should cultivate within themselves to improve on their effectiveness. In the event of such a pandemic, it is important for managers and other leadership to realize that crisis is part of life, and the best way to face them is to stay prepared at all times to face them.
Strategy
The aviation industry is one of the industries that has been hit hard by the covid-19 pandemic. Millions of dollars in terms of revenues have been lost as the revenue for most airlines is set to drop by more than a half. Practically aircraft have been grounded, and the little activity going on in the airports make them resemble abandoned towns. While the full consequences of the pandemic on the airline industry have not yet been fully realized, it is predicted that it will take years before travel numbers restore to normal if things remain as they are. It is not clear how long the crisis would last, but one thing that is clear is that it has not been experienced in modern times, and therefore there is little experience to reference from. With a crisis of such magnitude, transformational leadership would come in handy in managing the crisis.
Transformational leadership is a style whereby the leader identifies the need for change and acts on it. The leadership develops a vision and then shares it with a team that is equally motivated and committed to achieving the vision. The leader is assisted by the team members to unpack the details of the crisis situation so that they can further define it and the impacts it will cause on the business. The leader will listen to their views and, in the end, determine what success should look like for the organization at the end of the crisis. The vision created is then used to organize action plans and develop strategies to be used to achieve it.
Airlines and airports depend on cash from future bookings to run their daily operations. It might take a while before people decide to travel in droves. The last time there was such a pandemic over a century ago when there was an outbreak of Spanish flu in the world. Judging from history, it is expected that certain airlines will go bankrupt. The best way to avert such a scenario is by minimizing costs as much as possible and improving the efficiency of the operations at the airport. It will be imperative for airports and airlines to have a chance to bounce back. For the ones that will not survive bankruptcy, mergers and consolidation are one of the best ways for airlines to stay competitive and impactful. It is the role of a leader to make such critical decisions with the support of the board and other top leaders in the organization.
Leader’s Role
In times of a crisis, established norms, routines, and relationships are broken down, and this leads to confusion and illogical behaviors among members of an organization. This span of events could potentially threaten an organization’s goals and objectives. It is possible for a crisis to be caused by an external force outside the organization where it is not possible to influence it. Covid-19 is such a crisis as it emerged from outside many industries but managed to affect most in a considerable manner. It is not possible to be fully prepared for such kind of crisis, but one can employ leadership skills that will ensure the organization survives the pandemic.
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Regardless of the crisis intervention strategy selected, the leaders of the organization paly a very crucial role in keeping the organization in check. One of the area’s leaders come in handy is the identification of potential threats so as to avoid a situation spiraling out of control. Another important role for leaders in the crisis is decision making. Whether there is a crisis management structure or not, the final decision making lies with the leaders of the organization. After a certain strategy is settled upon, it is the role of leaders to come up with a policy and implementation plan to manage the crisis. Leaders are typically supposed to engage in critical thinking and analysis to determine who is supposed to be involved in a crisis.
Leadership Theories
Leadership theories seek to explain why certain people assume leadership positions while others do not. They focus on certain characteristics or traits that leaders have while others look at the behaviors that people can adapt and become leaders in their own rights. The traditional leadership theories focused on qualities that separated the leader and followers, while modern theories look at skills and other factors that create a leader. While there are many theories of leadership, there are four core ones that are commonly used.
Trait-Based Leadership Theories
Behavioral Theories
Contingency Theories
Transformational Theories
Difference between Leadership and Management
Role of Emotional Intelligence
Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Analysis
Conclusion
Leadership is one of the most crucial parts of the success of any organization. It times of crisis management, the leadership has to find a way of treating the crisis in a logical and orderly manner. Organizations that think systematically and accept responsibility are better equipped to manage a crisis than those that do not—lack systematic thinking and action taking leaves an organization prone to the crisis with much worse devastating effects.