Chapter 14: ‘PREFACE’ Leadership in Times of Crises: Evidence from Indian SME Sector

The study has been taken up with a purpose to understand how a leader can behave during the times of crises. Such times may demand situational and unplanned decisions. Every crisis has different internal and external context; thus, leadership competences which can be useful in “normal” circumstances may not be fruitful in times of crises. However, there could be certain approaches/competences of leadership which can be generalised. The work is based on the review of literature and in-depth interviews with leaders from 23 organisations representing the Indian small and medium-sized enterprise sector. Lived experiences of the participants were captured in the form of narration to understand their role as a leader to keep their businesses alive during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of thematic coding, lessons were drawn to develop an understanding of the underlying key competences of a leader that can help to take firm actions during challenging situations. The findings of the study suggest that seven identified leadership competences (PREFACE) can be applied during a crisis to achieve a balance between people and organisational economy. These leadership competences can help in overcoming unforeseen situations to gain competitive advantage and survive challenges. The study holds some important practical implications. Such times like the one where the world is battling a deadly virus, agile and effective decisions need to be made. It should be noted that the post crisis world would also be filled with challenges, such as: lack of demand, lack of jobs, changed work habits and raised inequality. With the help of the suggested competences, one may find a ground to base his/her actions to overcome trials posed due to a crisis. This study addresses an important gap in the literature by presenting an overarching framework for the crisis leadership in the small and medium enterprise sector. This chapter, with the help of in-depth interviews, highlights some important leadership competences which can be helpful in handling crisis situations in small and medium enterprises.