10 Lessons I Learned As a Female Leader in Business & Military During War Time

Some people believe fear is an illusion. But for me, fear is an old friend, which helps me keep risks in my focus and manage them properly. Including threats to my physical existence. My experience in leadership during the Russian invasion of Ukraine covers two time periods:

2014-2017 - I stepped into responsibility to lead volunteer groups of psychologists working with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a war zone in the East of Ukraine. I was the youngest psychologist at just 23 years old, and I earned the trust of more experienced colleagues during the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, coordinating more than 150 volunteers as our response to police violence against civilians. During these years, my colleagues and I built and implemented pre-deployment self-regulation training for soldiers and educational programs for military psychologists in collaboration with the Armed Forces, NGOs, and foreign military psychologists. And after these intense years, I decided to transition to a calmer field - digital business.

2022-2023 - our company, Papa Vector, faced a full-scale Russian invasion, putting our remote team members in various Ukrainian cities at risk. At that time, I was in the COO position. I used my previous experience in a war zone when evacuating the team, including myself. Everyone was saved, but we could have faced irreversible losses if some decisions hadn't been made on time. I asked my business partner, Ruslan Nesterenko, to let me take on the CEO role as the war escalated, causing our team issues with electricity and internet access. I didn't want to give up on growing our business, so I took on the CEO's responsibilities, reshaped our strategy and operations, and achieved higher revenue growth than in previous years.

Here is my extended biography related to these two periods.

Behind every lesson below are real stories I lived through, which I will share in the next few posts to illustrate how they helped me, my teams, and my business survive during war actions and reach even better business results.

1. Responsibility. You are never ready 100% for what’s coming. But you have everything to survive and overcome all challenges - step into responsibility and lead people. Take initiative even if you don’t know yet what to do. Set survival goals according to the crisis you face.
   

2. Safety first. A good leader is an alive leader. If you are physically located in a risk zone where your life is in danger, you must reach the safe zone first. The same goes for psychological safety - you need to regain your sense of control, whether it's an imaginative place or a real place where you feel protected enough to act.  

3. Knowledge. Know as much as possible about what you’re facing before it happens. You will probably have to learn a lot and very quickly. Knowing how a crisis affects your business operations can help you predict situations, avoid unnecessary risks, and lead your team safely to stability.               
   

4. Actions. Learn what to do - get as much info as possible. Turn the chaos of information and events into the structure, and bring an action plan to your team. There’s no book about the crisis you faced specifically. Similar experiences of others are essential, but the most important is your understanding of what’s going on and how to act in the context of the situation you face.                                                                                    

5. Information. Stick to trusted information channels. Learn from others' experiences with the actual conditions you have, and bring structure to your team. A structure can reduce the feeling of chaos that the crisis creates.                                                                       

6. Team. The main force of change in crisis is your team — fight for each of them and use their potential to the maximum. Know your team — how the crisis affects them and their families, and you will know how to support them. Detect your team's primary needs and cover them with resources you can provide. After doing this, you can expect them to follow your lead. Don’t keep your team members in a dependent "child role." As soon as they reach a point of stability, they can operate in crisis. Decentralize leadership and actively involve team members in helping each other.                                                                                            

7. Resistance. Initially, you own more information as a leader who sets a survival goal to achieve. You can see more connections and facts on which you base your decisions. And your choices can face resistance from the side of your team. That’s why it’s essential to communicate it to people or to find someone who can speak it better than you. It will help you to keep your team on track to the goal. Be clear in your decisions - explain the WHY, and use open discussions with all team members to decrease tension and resolve resistance.
   

8. Reality check. Talk to trusted people around you for a reality check. You’re not God, just a human being and a crisis affects our ability to evaluate threats and available solutions. It can lead to impulsive decisions. Talking to someone you trust can give you a new perspective to consider in your actions and ease your inner tension because of the responsibility you carry. You can experience various emotions while leading through the crisis — fear, anger, frustration, helplessness — and feeling all of them is okay. The main thing is to remember how they can change your perception of reality and to have ways to vent your emotions so you can think straight.       

9. Expectations. Trauma slows progress and the ability to grow. Everyone has their coping mechanisms with trauma and requires different times to process it. That’s why it’s essential to adapt your expectations to the changing dynamic of your team and make changes in their responsibilities so they can handle it — it brings a sense of control back.  Be patient with your team's trauma dynamic. Collaborate with people outside your organization to help people to achieve trauma growth.                                                

10. Self-care. A crisis is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. There’s a risk of burning out your resources fast. As a leader, you will need endurance and strength to go through it effectively and safely. That’s why taking care of yourself on time and knowing the best ways to restore your inner powers is essential.  

Every lesson has much more to tell and to learn. It's about mindset, skills, and modern technologies like blockchain and AI that can be successfully applied to manage crises. Stay informed and inspired by subscribing to our updates, and join us on this journey of resilience and growth.