What happens when there is a leadership vacuum? When things change rapidly, it's not unusual to find that your leaders aren't around or available. What do you do? There are several questions you can ask to help you determine how to proceed, despite the lack of leadership.

What caused the leadership vacuum?

Warren left when it became clear there was no place for him in a merged company that planned to consolidate and reduce the size of two similar departments in each company. Deciding how to combine the two departments outweighed every other concern and the need to create the newly merged department dominated everyone's attention and energy for several months.

Stephanie was fired after a rocky two years during which her department's reputation suffered significantly due to her alienation of key internal customers. Upon her departure, the critical questions for her department were how to assess the extent of the damage she left behind and how to repair and rebuild a working relationship with others in the company.

How are the staff members dealing with the loss?

Noreen left to take another position in the firm, creating an opportunity for others to step into her shoes. Unfortunately, she left without paving the way for her successor and the resulting jockeying among her potential replacements took a heavy toll on the staff, which was pulled into different camps, each supporting one of the three different aspirants.

Leonard left to take a position outside the firm, leading to a collective sigh of relief from the staff that had never respected or admired him. He had come from the outside, immediately took a very hands-on, dictatorial approach that alienated the staff, and made it very clear that he didn't want or need their input, just their blind obedience.

How are the key customers and clients dealing with it?

Emile left and the clients were not unhappy about his departure. Despite his credentials and obvious knowledge of the technology, his unwillingness to acknowledge and address the numerous delays in the project undermined their confidence in him and the company.

Marianne worked hard, did her job, and supported her team in their efforts to learn and grow. What she didn't do was to anticipate the challenges that lie ahead for the client and provide suggestions and ideas as to how to address them. When she left, the client asked for someone with more of a willingness to look to its future needs to be the new team leader.

What is the impact on the day-to-day work?

Carl's unforeseen departure left the staff in shock and dismay. He had just been promoted from within with the enthusiastic approval of the team and with a mandate to make the changes that everyone had long wanted. Now, with no leader and the pressure to change hanging over their heads, the staff was at a loss as what to do.

Yvette knew that the purchase of the company was not going to make a big difference in their operations. The acquiring firm had bought others in the industry and was known for its hands-off approach. For all intents and purposes, it was going to be business as usual for her and her staff.

The questions and examples above will help you to understand the issues whenever there is a leadership vacuum.

If you were to have a sudden loss of leadership in your firm, what would those issues be for you now and what might you do to address them?

Recently, Steve Jobs decided to step down from his position at Apple, to widespread accolades for his accomplishments. It's clear that Apple wouldn't be what it is today without his leadership.

Leaders always leave a legacy. Some are great, like Jobs. Other legacies may be less obvious, but still were significant and important. And others may be minimal or even negative.

What will your legacy be? How do you know?

In the last several weeks, the media have covered several instances of people responding badly to the pressures of a situation. Riots in England exploded after the shooting of a citizen. Fans attacked one another after an NFL game.

In other cases, people responded extraordinarily well. Neighbors helped one another out after Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc along the east coast of the United States and Canada.

What is your responsibility as a leader in times of immense pressure to anticipate and prepare others for how to respond and conduct themselves?