How Clear Direction Helps Employees After a Crisis, and Why Its Effects Change Over Time

What is it about?

When organizations face a major crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders often become more directive. This means they give clearer instructions, set tighter rules, and closely guide employees. But we still know little about how this type of leadership actually affects employees during these unusual times. Our research looked at what happens when people return to work after a COVID-related lockdown. We conducted three studies to understand how employees respond to directive leadership over time. In two daily-survey studies with employees in China, we found an interesting pattern: Right after returning to work, clear and directive leadership helped employees feel more focused on improving and moving forward. This “promotion focus” made them more proactive in their tasks. As days passed, that same directive leadership increasingly pushed employees into a more cautious, risk-avoiding mindset, called “prevention focus.” This mindset helped them become more careful and accurate in completing their tasks—but also made them less proactive. In other words, the same leadership style had different effects depending on how much time had passed since employees returned to work. A third experiment with U.S. participants confirmed this pattern: time since returning to work changes how directive leadership influences people’s motivation and work behaviors. This study shows directive leadership can be helpful during the first days of a crisis recovery because employees want clarity and direction. But if leaders stay highly directive for too long, it may shift employees from feeling motivated to improve toward feeling they must avoid mistakes. Organizations should adjust leadership approaches as recovery unfolds to support both proactive and accurate performance.

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Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our research provides practical guidance for leaders and HR professionals who want to support employees when they return to the workplace after a major disruption. Although the COVID-19 pandemic inspired this work, the lessons apply to any crisis, such as natural disasters, security threats, or other events that force people away from their normal work routines. We found that employees’ needs change over time when they return to work, and leaders should adjust their leadership style accordingly. At the beginning of the return-to-work period, employees may feel overwhelmed and unsure about how to get back on track. Instead of wanting full independence, they often prefer clear direction and specific guidance. A more directive leadership style, where leaders provide structure, instructions, and clarity, can help employees feel motivated and ready to take initiative. This early boost helps them focus on their goals and contribute proactively. However, as time goes on, employees settle back into their routines and become more aware of rules and expectations. During this later stage, directive leadership becomes more useful for helping employees follow established procedures and work accurately. However, it may no longer inspire proactive behavior. In other words, directive leadership is not equally effective at all times. It is especially helpful in the early days after returning from a crisis, when employees need stability and clarity. But once the situation becomes more normal, this leadership style might limit employees’ initiative, unless the main goal is to ensure accuracy and compliance. For leaders and HR specialists, the key takeaway is to be flexible. Pay attention to how employees respond each day and adjust the level of direction you provide. Directive leadership can be powerful during times of uncertainty, but it may not be the best choice once normal operations resume.