A leader can be effective in handling a project and yet act very differently in the face of a crisis. I’ll explain.

A project–completing something that starts here and ends there–requires a leader who can oversee the execution of a plan, show flexibility in dealing with details that don’t work out as expected, garner resources for use by the project team, and maintain a high or relatively level of motivation. And there are many more things that a leader of a project must do to ensure success.

A crisis can require these same things in a leader but other points become far more important. In a crisis a leader must accept the need for speed and swiftness. In a crisis a leader must act without ample information at key moments. In a crisis a leader must embrace a far greater possibility of risk without the benefit of thorough planning and vetting.

A leader may excel in one arena and not in another. Crisis and project are two very different worlds of leadership.

A leader can be effective in handling a project and yet act very differently in the face of a crisis. I’ll explain.

A project–completing something that starts here and ends there–requires a leader who can oversee the execution of a plan, show flexibility in dealing with details that don’t work out as expected, garner resources for use by the project team, and maintain a high or relatively level of motivation. And there are many more things that a leader of a project must do to ensure success.

A crisis can require these same things in a leader but other points become far more important. In a crisis a leader must accept the need for speed and swiftness. In a crisis a leader must act without ample information at key moments. In a crisis a leader must embrace a far greater possibility of risk without the benefit of thorough planning and vetting.

A leader may excel in one arena and not in another. Crisis and project are two very different worlds of leadership.