Leading the Malcolm Baldrige Way: How World-Class Leaders Align Their Organizations to Deliver Exceptional Results

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Maintaining Momentum When Facing a Downturn

• What if the prospect is going out of business?
• What if the downturn is precipitous?
• What if you encounter “the perfect storm”?
• What if confidence is shaken in your whole industry?
• What if you have a challenging business model?
• Creating an “all-weather” organization

Employees’ expectations for leaders increase during a crisis. They expect more communication, more real information, more reassurances, and more empathy. During an economic downturn or industry shakeup, many employees become anxious about the potential loss of jobs—especially their own. As Keith McFarland says in his book The Breakthrough ...