Leading Through the Storm: How Great Leaders Thrive in Crisis
By Jayson Krause, Managing Director of Level 52 & Award-Winning Author of The Science Behind Success
Crisis is the ultimate test of leadership. When the unexpected happens, when the plan falls apart, and when uncertainty grips your team, how you lead in those moments defines you. The question isn’t if a crisis will hit, but when - and when it does, the difference between success and failure often hinges on a leader’s ability to stay steady, make decisive moves, and inspire confidence when everything else is crumbling.
In my years of working with leaders across industries, I’ve seen firsthand how some leaders manage to not just survive crises but come out stronger on the other side. Leading in a crisis is an art, and while it can never be fully predicted, there are key principles that the best leaders follow to navigate the storm with confidence, clarity, and resolve.
1. Stay Calm and Project Confidence
In times of crisis, fear spreads faster than facts. Your team will look to you to set the emotional tone. If you panic, they’ll panic. If you stay calm and collected, even when the path ahead is uncertain, your team will take their cue from you.
This doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It means being steady, clear, and focused. Calm breeds clarity, and clarity allows you to assess the situation, make better decisions, and inspire confidence in your team. Great leaders know that in a crisis, people aren’t just looking for instructions - they’re looking for someone who can anchor them when the seas get rough.
Tip: Focus on what you can control. In a crisis, there’s often a lot of noise and confusion. Break the situation down into manageable parts and communicate to your team what you’re doing to move forward, even if the full solution isn’t clear yet.
2. Take Decisive Action, Even with Imperfect Information
One of the biggest challenges in a crisis is the overwhelming uncertainty. You won’t always have all the information you need, and the pressure to make decisions can feel paralyzing. But inaction is the enemy in a crisis.
Great leaders understand that decisive action is better than waiting for perfect information. You have to move forward with what you know, making the best decision based on the available facts and adjusting as new information emerges. Sitting on the sidelines or waiting for clarity only allows the crisis to grow.
At the same time, don’t mistake action for busyness. The key is intentional action - knowing when to pull the trigger on a decision, when to delegate, and when to gather just enough information to move forward.
Tip: Avoid decision paralysis by prioritizing speed over perfection. It’s better to make a good decision quickly and course-correct than to wait for a perfect decision that arrives too late.
3. Over-Communicate and Be Transparent
In a crisis, communication is your lifeline. People need to know what’s going on, even if all the answers aren’t clear yet. Silence during a crisis creates a vacuum that fear and rumours will quickly fill. As a leader, your role is to fill that vacuum with clarity, transparency, and reassurance.
But transparency doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means being honest about what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re doing to figure it out. When you communicate frequently and openly, you give your team the confidence that someone is in control—even if that control is just managing the unknowns.
In crises, over-communication is essential. Keep your team updated regularly, even if there’s nothing new to report. This prevents anxiety from creeping in and reinforces trust in your leadership. People can handle tough news; what they can’t handle is feeling like they’re in the dark.
Tip: Set a regular cadence for updates - whether that’s daily check-ins, email updates, or team huddles. This provides a sense of stability and keeps the lines of communication open.
4. Empower Your Team to Act
In moments of crisis, it’s tempting for leaders to try to do everything themselves. But micromanaging in a crisis not only overwhelms you, but it also slows everything down. Great leaders know how to delegate and trust their team to step up.
Your team wants to contribute, especially in high-stakes situations. Empower them to take ownership of key decisions and responsibilities. Trust them to act in the best interests of the organization. When you empower others, you create an environment where your team feels valued and engaged, even in the toughest situations.
Remember: you hired talented, capable people for a reason. Crisis is the time to trust them. Empowering your team also lightens your load, freeing you up to focus on the big picture and the long-term strategy.
Tip: Clarify roles and responsibilities early in the crisis. Make sure everyone knows what they’re responsible for, and give them the authority to make decisions within their domain.
5. Be Adaptable: Plan, But Be Ready to Pivot
One of the most crucial traits of a leader in a crisis is adaptability. In a fast-moving, uncertain environment, your ability to pivot when circumstances change can make or break your response.
While you need a plan to navigate the crisis, you also need to be ready to adjust that plan as new information comes in. Being rigid will lead to frustration and failure as situations evolve. Great leaders know how to stay flexible, thinking several steps ahead while keeping an eye on the present.
Adaptability also means being willing to admit when something isn’t working and pivoting to a new strategy without hesitation. The best leaders learn in real-time, continuously updating their approach as the crisis unfolds.
Tip: Build flexibility into your plans. Create short-term goals and regularly reassess your strategy, allowing for adjustments based on the latest developments.
6. Show Empathy and Support
Crises bring out the emotional side of leadership. Your team will be dealing with stress, fear, and uncertainty - and as the leader, it’s your job to address these emotions head-on. Empathy isn’t a weakness in leadership - it’s a superpower.
Acknowledge what your team is feeling. Create space for them to express their concerns, and show that you’re not just focused on the operational side of the crisis, but also on the human side. Teams perform better when they feel seen and supported by their leaders, especially in difficult times.
When you combine empathy with action, you create a sense of solidarity. It’s a way of saying, “I see what you’re going through, and I’m with you.” This doesn’t mean lowering expectations - it means leading with understanding.
Tip: Take the time to check in on your team members individually, especially those who may be struggling. A simple “How are you holding up?” can go a long way in showing that you care.
7. Lead by Example: Be the Calm in the Storm
In a crisis, leadership is about more than strategy or execution. It’s about how you show up. Your team will take its emotional cues from you. If you’re calm, composed, and focused, they will be too. If you’re frazzled, stressed, or panicked, that energy will ripple through the organization.
Great leaders don’t just manage the crisis; they lead through it by embodying the values and behaviors they want to see in their team. Be the calm in the storm, the steady hand that guides the ship even when the path ahead is uncertain.
In moments of crisis, your presence is often more important than your words. How you carry yourself, the energy you bring into a room, and the confidence you project will all have a significant impact on how your team navigates the challenge.
Tip: Practice self-management. Take care of your own mental and emotional health, so you can be fully present for your team. If you’re not at your best, it’s hard to lead others through difficult times.
In The End, Crisis Reveals Character
Crises don’t make or break leaders - they reveal who leaders truly are. In these moments, when everything is uncertain, and the pressure is at its peak, you have the opportunity to step up and show your team what great leadership looks like. Your actions, your words, and your presence during a crisis will leave a lasting legacy.
The best leaders don’t just survive crises - they emerge stronger, more resilient, and more connected to their teams. If you can stay calm, take decisive action, communicate transparently, empower your team, and lead with empathy, you’ll not only weather the storm but also guide your organization to higher ground.
Because ultimately, it’s not the storm that defines you… it’s how you lead through it.
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