was the director of nursing at a large long-term care facility in Gainesville, Florida, when we were directly impacted by a major hurricane on Labor Day weekend in 2004.

We lost electricity and our back-up generators could only power essential equipment via outlets in the hallways, causing us to move our most critical residents, whose care was dependent upon electricity, into the corridors.

It was early September in Florida and the building had backup lighting but no air conditioning. Members of our staff who were not at the facility were home dealing with the damage or out of town on vacation for the holiday weekend. An incredible team of staff and volunteers worked around the clock to ensure our elderly residents received the best possible care. After four long days and nights, the power was restored. We all breathed a sigh of relief and congratulated each other that not a single person in a 154-bed facility had suffered any ill effects.

I worked, ate, and slept at the nursing home for the entire time we were without power, but I was not the only person to do so. There was a strong sense of servant leadership within the organization that had been reinforced long before the crisis. We knew what to do, how to do it, and that together we would safeguard our precious residents and staff.

Today, as the president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc. leading the organization through the unknowns associated with COVID-19, I’ve found myself reflecting upon the premise that servant leadership matters, especially in the midst of a crisis of any length. I began this role in September 2019 and was just getting my footing when COVID-19 hit hard in the Washington, D.C., area. I felt myself once again being called upon to forge a path through a crisis and to ensure the health and safety of everyone who looked to me as a leader.

There was a strong sense of servant leadership within the organization that had been reinforced long before the crisis. We knew what to do, how to do it, and that together we would safeguard our precious residents and staff.

How to Lead When Emotionally Exhausted by a Crisis

While the hurricane disaster lasted four long days, we were able to return to normal operations in less than a week. We certainly updated continuity-of-operations plans, but life as we knew it was back to normal relatively quickly.

This year of the COVID-19 crisis has left us all a bit fatigued and questioning when it will end. A leader in a short-lived crisis can provide a sense of calm and strength throughout the entire period. It is incumbent upon us during these extended periods of upheaval to be willing to show our team that we too are a bit the worse for wear. Just as I draw strength from caring for and ensuring the entire team has everything they need, sometimes it is invaluable to allow the team to also care for me. I was exhausted from writing and reviewing telework policies, procuring personal protective equipment, reading the Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Paid Leave Requirements, applying for the Paycheck Protection Program, fulfilling numerous other CARES Act requirements, and deciding when we had to close the Memorial to the public. By expressing my need for help in meeting so many obligations, it exhibited as a strength to ask for help. This in turn allowed the rest of the team to also ask for help when they were running on empty. Fortunately, we were able to buoy each other as we weathered this storm together.

The Purpose Matters

The entire team knows how special it is to be a member of this organization and the mission, “The Military Women’s Memorial honors and tells the stories of women, past and present, who serve our nation.” Our first responsibility is to each other, and we all have a sense of purpose. Long ago I was advised, “Treat employees like they make a difference and they will.” At the nursing home during the hurricane we cared for our elderly residents while also caring for each other. During times of high stress, it was imperative that I remain calm, direct the team, and react swiftly to the ever-changing environment, lessons learned in the military and the hospitals.

Our shared sense of purpose in caring for each other as well as the organization has allowed us to grow into an incredibly cohesive team. As we add new members, they are welcomed in and exposed to a culture of servant leadership. It is important to build a strong bond which leads to trust. The purpose, the “why” we do what we do as an organization, must be clear and concise. Caring for geriatric patients or the stories of the nearly three million women who have defended the United States from the Revolutionary War to today serves a very noble purpose. I am honored to be a servant leader.

You may not feel you are a servant leader, but if you lead with a sense of purpose to care for your team as completely as you do your customers, then you are doing it right. By demonstrating that you truly care about your team, your team will gladly follow you. Never be afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve. Your team will trust you and work side by side no matter how large the crisis.