I'm in Greece, seeing how the Greeks respond to the current fiscal crisis plaguing the country. The responses by many here mirror the responses that business leaders in the United States encounter when thing are going badly: anger, denial, and resistance.

Anger - directed variously at those who dare to raise the issue, at those who suggest we're at fault, at those who say we have to change.

Some of the Greeks are angry at the former government leaders whom they blame for getting Greece into its current problems. Others are angry at the European Monetary Union for foisting the euro on Greece, as well as the rigid fiscal policies of the International Monetary Fund that Greece must now follow.

Denial - an absolute unwillingness to accept that what is being said is true and a perverse ability to find reasons why what has been said is not right.

For some Greeks, the situation is a mirage, merely perpetrated to embarrass and demean the Greeks in the eyes of the world. It's not real.

Resistance - Obdurate and deep-seated unwillingness to do anything different from what they've done in the past, thus continuing the downward spiral, combined with an exceedingly vocal and strident defense of their existing way of living, refusing to give up any of what they believe to be rightfully theirs.

Government employees (according to some sources, nearly one in four employed Greeks work for the government) regularly take to the streets and shut the country down. Their protests are well-organized and designed to highlight what they believe to be the unfair sacrifices they are being asked to make.

Leaders in the United States face similar responses to crises in their businesses:

Anger - Employees who are outraged that the pension fund is now bankrupt; the union members who deride their representatives who even suggest that there should be any reductions in benefits or pay; the staff members who decry the closing of the plant when the leadership moves the production off-shore.

Denial - The members of the organization who refuse to accept the fact that the revenues from a now-dated product have not kept up with costs of production; the refusal of staff members to hear the continued and strident criticisms of the company's performance by its customers; the stubborn unwillingness of those in key positions in the organization to recognize the dissatisfaction and de-motivation of large portions of the staff, many of whom leave.

Resistance - The nearly continuous complaints that employees share amongst themselves any time a suggestion is made that entails a change; the persistent delays or outright refusal to abide by new policies and procedures designed to address the crisis; the unwillingness to suggest ways to help out, relying instead on a dedication to keeping things as they are.

How leaders deal with these responses tells us a lot about the leader. Here are a few questions for you to consider when dealing with these kinds of responses to crises should they occur in your organization:

· What percentage of the population is represented? · How deep-seated are their concerns? · How are the people who express these kinds of responses regarded by the rest of the staff? · What would happen if you did nothing in reaction to their responses? · What steps might you take to communicate more candidly about the nature of the crisis?

Of course, these are not the only things to consider. But, thinking about your answers to these questions will help you to develop your approach for dealing with those who are angry, in denial, and resistant?

By the way, for the most part, the average Greek continues life as it always has been here by spending time with family, eating good food, and debating endlessly and loudly the events of the day.

Robert Sutton, a Stanford professor, argues (in a NY Times article) that nastiness at work has an insidious, infectious, and pervasive effect on work. It "undermines performance by driving out good employees at alarming rates" and leads to people who respond to the nastiness "by calling in sick more often, making fewer suggestions, working less hard, and doing lower-quality work."

Despite that, the number of leaders who are nasty themselves or allow nastiness by others to continue is surprisingly large.

What have you done to ensure that nastiness doesn't infect your team and undermine its performance?

How do you know if you're having an impact as a leader?

John Quincy Adams suggested that "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

I agree. What have you done recently to inspire others to dream, learn, do, and become more?

Email archie@archietinelli.com