Keep Calm and Carry On
David Thompson, 23 Mar 2009
It was the poster to be used in the event of the worst happening – an invasion of Britain by the Axis powers. Developed in 1939 as part of a communications campaign to boost morale among the civilian population, the simple slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On” – in white letters on a red background beneath an image of the crown – said all that needed to be said to help the British in the darkest of times.
Simple, clear, direct – the slogan emphasises and reinforces some of the best aspects of the British character. It calls for practicality and level-headedness in the face of disaster. The appearance of the crown conveys authority and appeals to national pride. The message itself is at once both specifically directive enough to provide assurance – and artfully vague enough to apply to the widest possible audience.
The slogan and the image were never used during wartime, and, according to the story, the poster effectively disappeared until 2000, when an bookseller named Stuart Manley came across a copy in a box of books he’d purchased in an auction. Since then, literally tens of thousands of copies of the poster have been sold around the world.
The newfound popularity of the poster (also available on T-shirts, mugs, cufflinks and more) testifies to both the degree of fear and uncertainty people are experiencing in today’s economic climate and the state of mind and comportment that we will all need to show to get through it.
I think there’s a particularly important lesson for leaders of any kind in the enormous take-up the poster has seen in the last several months. People are looking for cool heads, straight talk and focused action from those in charge. If you are leading a company, a department or a team - that means you.
Measured leadership – especially in businesses facing difficult times – is more important than it has ever been. That means realistic assessments of the current situation and how it affects your organisation. It means encouraging your people to keep their attention on the factors of your business that they can control.
Overly optimistic statements or forced cheer will only provoke scorn and derision. At the same time, declarations of doom and gloom – or rash behaviour that suggests that the leadership team is panicking – will spark similar overreaction from people across the organisation. But a clear and concise explanation of the facts facing your organisation – combined with specific instruction about the actions your people can take to make a positive difference – will help your people be in the right state to get through tough times.
Or, put more simply, it will help you and your people Keep Calm and Carry On.
For more on the Keep Calm and Carry On phenomenon, see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/18/keep-calm-carry-on-posterhttp://www.keepcalmandcarryon.com/
