Leadership in times of war

« It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required. »

Winston Churchill

French companies such as Auchan, Renault-Nissan, Decathlon, Danone, and others employ 160,000 people in Russia and 30,000 in Ukraine, making France the leading foreign employer in both countries.

The Russia-Ukraine war is impacting our companies and challenging our leaders with a situation of unprecedented complexity. On one hand, there are imposed sanctions and political decisions; on the other, destabilized teams facing a radically changed context—both professionally and personally. On top of that is the leader’s own situation, with their emotions involved, because no one remains indifferent in the face of such a conflict.

Leaders are now asking themselves: how do you manage business and teams during wartime? Nothing has been planned—everything must be invented.

In Ukraine, almost all companies have had to halt production, shut down factories and stores, and cease trading due to infrastructure destruction and general insecurity. In Russia, strategies vary: McDonald’s, LVMH, and Coca-Cola have temporarily withdrawn from the market, while others continue their operations so as "not to punish or isolate the Russian population." Strategies differ depending on the product, market size, and target customers. (link in German)

While these decisions are largely dictated by politics, shareholders, and/or the board of directors, their implementation on the ground falls to regional and European management. Their actions will determine how operations are shut down, how teams experience it, and what the consequences will be for the company.

Take, for example, the immediate shutdown of a production site in Russia. Management will need to make decisions across multiple fronts. What happens to production staff: temporary suspension with pay, without pay, or contract termination? What about local leadership? Should local managers remain to supervise the idle facility? What to do with finished goods, raw materials, pending orders, suppliers, creditors, and debtors? Should Russian or other staff wishing to leave the country be repatriated? The list of questions is long.

In times of crisis, leaders must react swiftly. They need to make major strategic decisions under intense pressure, while continuously reassessing the situation. They must be ready to change and adapt at any moment.

“When dealing with people, remember that you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion.”
— Dale Carnegie

The major challenge of an unforeseen crisis is responding quickly in the short term, while integrating the event and its consequences into long-term strategies. From now on, we must factor into future scenarios the difficulty in sourcing raw materials and rising costs. The Russia-Ukraine war has caused deep shifts in our global economy, and these must be reflected in our future action plans.

Beyond managing operations in a war-torn country, leaders also face the issue of supporting citizens of those countries in France. Consider the case of a Russian employee living and working in France who, along with her daughter, has become the target of stigmatization. Their situation has become so intolerable that she now wishes to return to Russia. As a business leader, should you help Russians in France return home?

In close contact with their teams, leaders face complex human situations.

Often, there is no one “right” way to respond. Each case must be assessed individually, and responses adapted accordingly. And the communication must be right. How do you explain your actions? How do they align with company values? How do you justify them on a human level?

Leadership demands clear communication about both actions and motives—externally to protect the company’s image, and internally to maintain team morale.

It is vital to involve employees and strengthen their sense of recognition and belonging to prevent stigmatization or simplistic views like “all Russians support Putin.” It’s the leader’s role to ease rising stress with calm, slightly more optimistic communication than their own personal assessment—without losing touch with reality.

After over two years of pandemic, it’s no surprise we see fatigue and irritability among teams. It's the leader’s responsibility to monitor morale, identify those most affected, and engage in dialogue. Their actions and communications must be guided by kindness.

This new situation requires leaders to demonstrate emotional intelligence and empathy, as managing international teams is becoming increasingly complex. Polish, Serbian, or French employees will each have very different views on Russia. How an individual perceives this crisis depends on their collective memory and personal experiences. A Frenchman married to a Russian will see things differently than a Polish employee with family in Ukraine. Managing a Serbian team, knowing Serbia supports Vladimir Putin’s positions, requires sensitivity to local perspectives. With globalization, our private lives are more diverse, making human management more delicate and complex. In this sense, showing empathy for each person’s unique situation is as important as ensuring their safety and well-being.

At the same time, effective leadership requires the leader’s personal engagement.

It’s not always easy for a leader to separate personal conviction from their professional persona, whose role is to strike a balance between imposed directives and available options. Whether we hold a leadership role or not, we all have feelings, fears, values, and hopes shaped by our circumstances. The leader must channel the warrior, the good soldier, or the protector within to lead effectively.

And what if this crisis reveals the kind of leader you truly are? Like President Zelensky, an actor-comedian turned wartime leader, who has become a symbol of strong, effective leadership for the entire world. He stands beside his troops and his people, constantly communicating at all levels. His communication is his strength. He speaks daily to leaders of countries allied with Ukraine to rally support. In every speech, he references a historical event significant to that country. When speaking to the Belgian Parliament on April 1st, he evoked the Battle of Ypres from World War II, an event deeply rooted in Belgium’s national memory. He also shows empathy and humanity when speaking to his troops and people, united and resilient behind their president and leader. A remarkable example to follow.

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