Crisis Leadership Blog

Critical takeaways Situations in nature that appear to have clear edges are often more complex and blurry at the boundaries. This is the same in a crisis where there isn’t as clear a start and end as we might think. Thinking about crises as ‘edgeless’ allows us to learn more which improves our crisis response and may even prevent similar situations in the...

Critical takeaways Infinite games are games where the objective is to excel and to pursue a worthy goal over the long term. Finite games with set structures and a winner/loser are limiting and ill-suited to long-term success. These two ideas are encapsulated in Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game and Sinek’s ‘infinite’ mindset is very similar to what we...

In addition to seeing what we can learn from  the biggest issues of year, at Kith, we also like to conduct an annual review of our own writing. This is a good opportunity for us to reassess our thinking and to make sure that our core values and beliefs are properly reflected in our writing. I wanted to share these with you as an end-of-year recap of our...

Critical takeaways Social media still matters. Companies must have a presence and use these platforms in a crisis. Pre-closure is the new disclosure. Be proactive, ‘take the trash out’, be clear about what you stand for and get out in front of the issue. Data breach is a waning public concern but still needs to be appropriately managed. These situations...

Critical takeaways Success in a crisis requires active engagement by the organization's senior leadership. Active decision-making is key to success and this is supported by active monitoring of the media landscape. Active preparation shouldn't be mistaken for overreaction. The eventual decision could still be ‘do nothing’ but an active stance ensures you...

Critical takeaways In sailing, the rhumb line is the shortest, most direct route between Point A and B.  However, external factors such as tides, weather or obstacles seldom allow ships to take this direct route, and they must compensate for these factors. Businesses in crisis also need a clear sense of their endpoint - the Point B on their crisis rhumb...

Critical takeaways Like our diets, we can take different approaches to how we prepare for crises. Many companies have a high-carb, ‘junk food’ approach to crisis preparedness which generates a short-term ‘sugar-high’ but little sustainable benefit. Unlike high-carb diets, a keto diet advocates a higher fat intake to help generate a long-term, sustainable...

Critical takeaways Knowing the right thing to do in the run up to or aftermath of a crisis can be difficult. A process for ethical decision-making is needed to overcome these challenges. Immanuel Kant’s philosophy - based on the four pillars of autonomy; the categorical imperative; ethical considerations; and symmetrical communications - provides an...