Sister Cities

It was one of the hardest things that I ever did. As women, we are raised to be the peacemakers. Our instinct is to find common ground. Sometimes it just doesn't work. And those are the ugly moments.

The Boston panel: Mike Abrashoff, Harriet Rubin, Kathy Biro, and Heidi Schneider.

How does leadership change in times of uncertainty and crisis?

Kathy Biro: Following the September attacks, our office in Boston's Prudential Center was evacuated five times a day for weeks. We obviously weren't making our numbers. We're a public company now, so that's a big issue. Some of our leaders were wandering around saying, "If you don't go back to work, we're going to go out of business." That is a perfect example of how not to lead during crisis.

You have to recognize that we're going through a national grieving process. The hard part is leading with confidence when you don't feel at all confident personally. I've always felt that leadership is performance art. It's not truth or consequences. It's doing what's needed to help people feel powerful and productive. And I think confidence is the big missing ingredient now. The country is at risk of losing a sense of confidence, and that's why leaders need to move forward.

Fran Keeth: I became president of Shell Chemicals on July 1. September 11 was the first time my awesome responsibility really dawned on me. People were looking to me to help them understand what we had to do, when we had to do it, and how we were going to do it. In tough times, people need leaders. And now I realize that I have the ability to provide that leadership.

Sarah Weddington: Leadership is easiest in a crisis. There's an old proverb that says, "Not finding heroes, we find fault." In a crisis, we rally around our leaders. A crisis makes it easier to lead because people allow you to take charge. We're not seeing divisiveness between the Democratic and Republican parties right now, for example, because we all have to pull together.

That brings me to my next point: heroes and heroines. Who are they? What makes them special? How do I find within myself the courage and conviction to become a hero or heroine during a real crisis? Like leaders, heroes and heroines emphasize the best qualities in the people around them.

D. Michael Abrashoff: When I didn't get the results I was looking for on the USS Benfold, I looked inward and asked myself three questions: Did I clearly articulate the goals I was looking for? Did I give my crew enough resources to get the job done? And did I give them enough training to get the job done? Now, more than ever, we're going to have to put ourselves in the shoes of our people to find out what they need.

The leaders who succeed in getting past this slump are going to say, "Hey, we're in new, uncharted territory and we've got to figure out a new way to do this. I don't have every answer, but here's where I think we need to go. What do you think?" If your people see you step up to the plate with honesty and authenticity, they're going to feel more confident and comfortable during a crisis.

Do women make betters leaders in times of crisis?

Mae C. Jemison: Since September 11, several interesting men have stepped forward with compassionate responses, demonstrating the kind of leaders that they can be. This suggests that the profile of an ideal and effective CEO must include compassion now. And compassion is where women really excel. We offer a fresh perspective, which opens up the possibility for new, humane solutions.

Silten: Women really excel at being able to sense when someone who is saying yes really means no. Rather than allowing everyone to shake their heads and go out in the hallway to complain, women have the courage to use their intuition, to challenge people and say, "You're saying yes. You really mean no, and let's talk about it now."

Schneider: The model of CEO is going to change. In the '90s, very smart, very efficient men ran their companies like tight ships, but they were often not very nice people. These days, employees are really looking at their bosses as disingenuous. Employees think their bosses don't really care about them as people; they only care about the bottom line.

People are starting to see through that and say, "Hey, wait a minute. I don't mind commuting for two hours if my boss appreciates that I'm there." So the people who are going to be effective leaders are going to really value the unique contributions that people make -- and will tell them so.