How to lead in a crisis | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: Erin Gregory Reviewer: Ivana Korom

We think of a great leader

譯者: Pooi Ling Ng 審譯者: Thomas Tam

偉大的領導者

as the unwavering captain who guides us forward

就像堅定的船長，

引領我們穿越挑戰和複雜狀況。

through challenge and complexity.

Confident, unwavering leaders,

擁有自信和堅毅，

armed with data and past experience

配備著數據和過往的經歷，

have long been celebrated in business and politics alike.

在商業和政治領域長期享有盛譽。

But sometimes and certainly now,

但有時，特別是現在，

a crisis comes along that is so new and so urgent

面對的危機，是從未有過而又緊迫，

that it upends everything we thought we knew.

同時顛覆著我們所有的認知。

[The Way We Work]

【我們的工作方式】

[Made possible with the support of Dropbox]

【由 Dropbox 贊助支持】

One thing we know for sure

我們確定無疑的一件事情，

is that more upheavals are coming.

更多的動盪即將來臨。

In a completely interconnected world

在完全互聯的世界，

a single political uprising,

若出現政治動亂、

a viral video, a distant tsunami,

熱門視頻、遙遠海嘯、

or a tiny virus can send shock waves around the world.

或小小的病毒， 也為全世界掀起滔天巨浪。

Upheaval creates fear,

動盪帶來恐懼，

and in the midst of it people crave security,

身處其中的人們，渴望得到安全；

which can incline leaders

此時的領導者

toward the usual tropes of strength, confidence, constancy,

展現慣常的力量、信心和毅力，

but it won't work.

但已行不通了。

We have to flip the leadership playbook.

因此我們需要推翻領導力的指引。

First, this type of leadership requires

首先，這種類型的領導人

communicating with transparency, communicating often.

需要經常和透明的溝通。

So how can leaders lead when there is so little certainty,

那麽，處於𣊬息萬變的情況下，

他們又如何應對呢？

so little clarity?

Whether you are a CEO, a prime minister, a middle manager

無論你是首相、首席執行官、中層管理，

or even a head of school,

還是一名校長，

upheaval means you have to ramp up the humility.

動盪就意味著你必須虛心求教。

When what you know is limited,

當你所知有限時，

pretending that you have the answers isn't helpful.

假裝知道，是沒有幫助的。

Amidst upheaval, leaders must share what they know

在動盪中，領導者必定要分享他們所知，

and admit what they don't know.

並承認自己的不足。

Paradoxically, that honesty creates more psychological safety for people,

有悖常理的是，坦誠溝通 才會帶給人們更多的安全感，

not less.

而不是更少。

For example when the pandemic devastated the airline industry

舉個例子，當疫情在一夜之間

給航空業帶來摧毀性的打擊，

virtually overnight,

CEO of Delta Airlines Ed Bastian

達美航空首席執行官艾德·巴斯蒂安，

ramped up employee communication

儘管對未來的走向知之甚少，

despite having so little clarity

又面臨嚴峻的後果，

about the path ahead, facing truly dire results.

依然加強與員工的溝通。

At one point in 2020,

2020 年的某個時刻，

losing over a hundred million dollars a day,

達美航空一天損失一億美元，

it would have been far easier for Bastian

對巴斯蒂安來說，在採取行動前

to wait for more information before taking action,

獲取更多資訊，或許會容易些；

但在動盪時期，高效的領導者

but effective leaders during upheaval

don't hide in the shadows.

並不會躲在角落。

In fact, as Bastian put it,

事實上，正如巴斯蒂安所說，

it is far more important to communicate

當你心中一團迷霧，

when you don't have the answers than when you do.

及時溝通尤為重要。

Second, act with urgency despite incomplete information.

第二，儘管信息不全， 領導人也要採取緊急行動。

Admitting you don't have the answers

要承認自己沒有解決方案，

does not mean avoiding action.

但並不意味著不採取行動。

While it's natural to want more information,

人之天性是希望獲得更多信息，

而迅速行動就是 獲取更多信息的唯一途徑。

fast action is often the only way to get more information.

Worse, inaction leaves people feeling lost and unstable.

不作為，更糟的是 會讓人們感覺迷茫和不安。

When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

當新西蘭首相傑辛達·阿德恩

laid out a four level alert system very early

在應對新冠疫情時，

很早就啟動四級警報系統，

in the COVID-19 crisis,

she lacked information with which to set the level.

但她當時缺泛設定級別的依據信息。

Despite lacking answers, she did not wait to communicate

儘管她沒有明確答案，

鑑於國家面臨的威脅， 她立刻就跑出來溝通。

about the threat with the nation.

At first she set the level at two,

起初她把級別設定為二級，

only to change it to four two days later as cases rose.

隨著情況發展，兩天後就升為四級。

That triggered a national lockdown,

由此引發了全國性的封鎖，

which no doubt saved countless lives.

挽救無數人的生命。

Later, when cases began to dissipate,

後來，情況開始好轉，

she made subsequent decisions

她根據新趨勢

reflecting that new information.

做出了相應的決策。

Third, leaders must hold purpose and values steady,

第三，領導人必須抱持 深遠的願景和價值觀，

即使具體目標和情況發生改變。

even as goals and situations change.

Values can be your guiding light

當一切都在撲朔迷離之中，

when everything else is up in the air.

價值觀就是你的指路明燈。

If you care about customer experience,

如果你關注客戶的體驗，

don't let go of that in times of upheaval.

不要在動盪時期放棄這些體驗。

If a core value is health and safety,

如果你的核心價值是健康和安全，

put that at the center of every decision you make.

就將它們放在你要做的 每個決策重要的位置。

Now doing this requires being very transparent

做到這點要有高度透明的價值觀；

about what your values are,

and in this way, your steadfastness shows

個人的堅定不僅展現在計劃書上，

not in your plans but in your values.

而且深植於你的價值觀中。

Prime Minister Ardern's clear purpose all along

首相阿德恩自始至終明確的宗旨，

was protecting human life.

是保護人民的生命。

Even as the immediate goal shifted from preventing illness

儘管她當時的目標，由阻止疫情傳播

to preparing health systems

轉變為落實醫療系統的配套，

and ultimately to bolstering the economy.

到最終為促進經濟發展。

And finally, give power away.

接著，最後是權力的分享。

Our instincts are to hold even more tightly

我們本能地在動盪時期緊握權力，

to control in times of upheaval, but it backfires.

但這適得其反。

One of the most effective ways to show leadership,

展現最有效領導力的方式，

if counterintuitive,

有點兒反直覺，

is to share power with those around you.

是與你周圍的人分享權力。

Doing this requires asking for help,

做到這點需要尋求他人幫助，

being clear that you can't do it alone.

了解獨木難成林。

This also provokes innovation

在賦予他人意義的同時，

while giving people a sense of meaning.

也會激發他們的創造力。

Nothing is worse in a crisis

在危機時感到自己無能為力，

than feeling like there's nothing you can do to help.

這才是最糟糕的情況。

We follow this new kind of leader through upheaval,

我們能跟隨這樣的新型領導跨越危機，

是因為我們的信心

because we have confidence

不是來自於領導的路線圖， 卻是他們的願景指南針。

not in their map but in their compass.

We believe they've chosen the right direction

我們相信他們在現有境況下

given the current information,

選擇了正確的方向，

and that they will keep updating.

而且他們會持續更新。

Most of all, we trust them

最重要的是，我們信任他們，

and we want to help them in finding and refinding

希望幫助他們找到或重新找到

the path forward.

前進的道路。