Crisis Leadership: Skills and Strategies

Natural disasters displaced 2.5 million Americans in 2023, according to the Weather Channel. Even in a country with the infrastructure and resources of the United States, fires, floods, and other disasters can upend organizations and entire communities. Social workers often work with governmental groups to help people recover from the economic and psychological impacts of these unforeseen events. 

Long after a disaster subsides, communities can still feel their effects. Disaster recovery specialists trained in crisis leadership provide critical support that can rebuild lives. Prospective and current crisis management leaders should consider pursuing an advanced education to prepare for the challenges of managing disasters, such as by completing a Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Science in Disaster Resilience Leadership (MS-DRL) dual degree program. 

What Is Crisis Leadership? 

Natural and human-made disasters like accidents, hurricanes, floods, and fires leave devastation behind, displacing countless individuals and disrupting the fabric of communities. This can include both clearly visible physical destruction as well as unseen aftermaths such as the anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by those affected. Many impacted communities sustain collective trauma after a disaster.

The responsibilities of those in crisis leadership positions include preparing for, preventing, responding to, and recovering from these types of disasters. This can involve planning ahead for and preventing potential crises through disaster resilience strategies, managing disaster recovery efforts and communication, and coordinating support initiatives. Crisis leaders are integral to the work of preventing and mitigating the immediate and long-term effects of disasters, helping communities and organizations rebuild and recover as quickly as possible. 

Social workers can play a vital role during a crisis by working to support the needs of communities. These professionals use their knowledge to implement specific strategies and connect community members to important resources. 

Which Skills Are Best Suited for Crisis Leadership?

Being effective at crisis leadership requires a unique set of skills. Many social workers develop these essential competencies by completing a Master of Social Work (MSW) program. 

An MSW/MS-DRL program can teach these and other critical skills:

Delegation

Crisis leaders should be able to efficiently assign tasks to others based on their skills and strengths to ensure efficient workflow. Proper delegation of tasks and work duties during a disaster relief effort ensures that important human resources are properly used and minimizes overlap in work duties during relief efforts. During a crisis, a social worker may have to decide which workers or volunteers should be assigned to take on leadership roles and which should carry out more hands-on tasks like handing out food rations. 

Critical Thinking

Leaders in a crisis need to be able to quickly synthesize information and make well-reasoned decisions to solve problems skillfully. Critical thinking skills are crucial for social workers in a disaster zone because no two disasters are the same. With no easy formula for how to navigate a disaster response, social workers rely on their critical thinking skills to find appropriate solutions to new problems. During a disaster relief effort, critical thinking can assist in evaluating the immediate needs of affected communities. 

Teamwork and Collaboration

Being able to work with other professionals and volunteers toward a common goal by cooperating and leveraging each person’s strengths allows social workers to maximize their effectiveness during a disaster response. For example, social service workers may need to coordinate efforts with government employees and other groups to ensure resources are available to people who need them. 

The skills taught in an MSW program can prepare social workers to support communities before, during, and after disasters by helping to address the physical and mental well-being of people who are affected or displaced by the disaster. 

Benefits of Merging Social Work and Disaster Resilience Leadership 

Merging the study of social work and disaster resilience can provide disaster relief professionals with the interdisciplinary training they need to lead organizations and communities through a crisis. An MSW/MS-DRL dual degree program is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills that are essential for professionals working in modern crisis management.

The advanced curriculum helps students gain a broad set of skills relevant to disaster resilience and recovery. The integration of these complementary disciplines allows students to benefit from learning about effective resilience programs and empowerment-centered social service strategies tailored to the needs of individuals, families, and communities in crisis.

Students in an MSW/MS-DRL program can benefit from working with engaged faculty who bring real-world expertise from various fields, including social work, economics, law, environmental science, and public health. Field internship programs allow students to gain hands-on experience at organizations that are deeply committed to making a difference in the lives of those in their communities. 

Learn the Skills to Help Communities in Crisis 

Crisis leadership professionals need a wide range of skills and strategies to address tomorrow’s disaster relief challenges. Tulane University School of Social Work’s Online Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Disaster Resilience Leadership dual degree program (MSW/MS-DRL) trains students to implement programs that effectively support organizations and communities before, during, and after disasters. 

While each disaster requires a customized strategy to serve the needs of the impacted community, Tulane University School of Social Work partners with disaster relief organizations like the American Red Cross to provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to choose the right strategies to best serve communities.

Take the first step toward joining our proud alumni base that spans the globe. Start your crisis leadership journey and enroll in our online dual degree program.