Manage a Crisis Without Freaking Out

😱 Managing a crisis

Sometimes things go really wrong...

Your servers go down There's a privacy breach The market crashes and your key customers aren't renewing their subscriptions

Problems like these are enough to make anyone freak out, but if you are able to lead your team through them, you will all come out stronger and more resilient.

Follow these steps to manage a crisis without losing your head.

🧘 Breathe and accept the crisis

Stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath.

This is really happening, and you might not be able to solve every problem, but there's probably a lot that you can do. The first and most important step is to keep a cool head.

🤲 Be honest and say what you need

If you want your team’s support to tackle this, they’re going to need context and clarity.

Be transparent about what's happening and give as much information as possible. Then, be clear about what it’s going to take to get out of the situation.

📣 Be positive, out loud

The team will be looking up to you for leadership. Your positivity can do a lot to guide your team out of the crisis.

Find optimistic viewpoints about the situation, and say them out loud. This will instill hope in you and your team.

🧯 Put out fires one by one

It's only possible to put out a big fire by addressing small parts one by one. Create a checklist of the steps that will get you out of the crisis.

Do this with your team. Not only will they have great ideas, but it will also help them feel shared responsibility and be more invested in working though the crisis.

💬 Check in 10x more

Once you've decided on a plan of action, keep checking in. It might feel like you should leave your team to get on with their progress, but they still need your support! Check in 10x more than you normally would, and help them to remove blockers right away.

🏄‍♀️ Don't freak out

It can be very stressful to lead your team through a crisis - but keep breathing, work on supporting your team, and focus on your goal.

Whatever happens, you'll be much stronger once it's over!