The extraordinary leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers. Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The extraordinary leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers.
Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.
In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can't see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The extraordinary leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator.