Crisis Leadership Blog
Insights and perspectives on being the lighthouse during a crisis.
When Controversy Snowballs into Crisis
The Washington Post has been shaking things up lately, especially in its opinion section. Owner Jeff Bezos just announced a shift to focus on "personal liberties and free markets," which led to the resignation of respected opinion editor David Shipley. This move,...
(Un)Welcoming a One-Drink Minimum Policy
A few weeks ago, Starbucks announced that it would be ending its open-door policy, which allowed people to use the store's seating and restrooms even if they didn't make a purchase. The company stated that the change was made to "enhance" the customer experience....
A Resolution Worth Sticking To: Crisis Vigilance in the New Year
With the holidays in the rearview mirror, many of us now turn to making personal resolutions for the new year. Whether it's training for a Tough Mudder, getting more sleep (hello, melatonin), saving more money for your dream retirement beach house, or remembering to...
When an Apology Isn’t an Apology
Saying “I’m sorry” shouldn’t be hard. When we say or do something that hurts someone else, then we as humans should own it, apologize for it, and try to make it right. But, many public apologies seem to miss this relatively easy target. Is someone sincerely...
Hanging in the Balance: Why and How Financial Leaders Should Prepare for the Unexpected
Any crisis comes with costs – economic costs, social costs, psychological costs – and long-term implications for your business’ bottom line, reputation, and team morale. No industry is immune to the threat of a crisis. Some sectors, including finance, face heightened...
By definition, Kith means a cadre of peers who shape opinions and attitudes while instilling sophisticated habits for action. As a way to live this value, we like to share resources that are building blocks to good crisis management and can help you start the path of protecting your reputation.
More Recent Insights
Don’t Become the Woking Dead
Bud Light. Disney. Mars Wrigley. Dilbert. The Super Mario Bros movie. Victoria’s Secret. Utah’s proposed new state flag. BlackRock. The U.S. military. Legos. Jack Daniels. Even Chick-fil-A. Accusations of “wokeness” have been flung far and wide so far in 2023. Is your company next? Are you ready? Defining “woke” is about as easy as folding soup. Its...
There Is Going To Be Another Bud Light. Are You Next?
It’s not often that a brand can anger all sides of the political spectrum and take a financial hit but Bud Light managed to do that last week. And there has been a tremendous amount of analysis of the roots of the controversy as well as the response. Some have called it a failure of marketing. Others have called the situation a failure of leadership both...
Three Lessons from FTX’s Collapse for Crisis Leaders
The dust from the wreckage of FTX’s collapse doesn’t have time to settle before it’s stirred up again. The latest revelation – that one of the world’s most “admired” cryptocurrency exchanges was comically terrible at both IT security (the “crypto” part) and tracking funds (the “currency” part) – should keep the dust billowing for a while. While there are...
Crisis Efficiency
Many organizations seek efficiencies during times of economic uncertainty. For many executives, “efficiency” equates to reducing costs. Two of the most tried and true methods of reducing costs are eliminating headcount and cutting back on support services that do not generate revenue. Frequently, chasing these kinds of efficiencies means that you are also...
Systems Failures May Be Trending in 2023
I was recently asked if I had any prediction for the “next thing” in crisis management for 2023. Without hesitation, I replied, “Systems failures.” 2022 ended with two epic system failures, and they threw a bright light on the potentially devastating impacts of scrimping on IT investment or failing to modernize operational practices and the systems that...
Why It’s Necessary to Include Government Affairs in Crisis Planning
I once heard a tech icon say “I don’t believe in God or government. I believe in the church of Silicon Valley.” That is all well and good until a U.S. Senator or three lettered agency takes notice. Just ask Ticketmaster or Google. While Senators Klobuchar and Lee’s weaving in of Taylor Swift lyrics likely delighted Swifties, and is worth a look, the Live...
Protecting Your Reputation in Uncertain Times
This is a confusing economic time. Layoffs are happening but unemployment is at record lows. We are figuring out what the new normal is. It’s a lot to navigate as a business leader, and some everyday concerns are not getting the attention they deserve. Your reputation is likely one of them. So as your organization is making critical decisions about the...
Feeling Umwelt – A Mental Framework for People Who Aren’t Listening
I’ll bet every one of us has said something like, “I kept telling them this was going to happen, but I guess it just fell on deaf ears.” Their ears were tuned to another stimulus. German biologist Jakob von Uexküll defined the unique sensory environment an animal experiences as its umwelt. It is a “self-in-world” perception that enables an animal to read...
Gone, But Not Forgotten
The damage of a crisis is not always immediate and not always front-page news. A couple of months ago, CTV News/Bell Media fired Lisa Laflamme, a national icon and trusted news source in Canada, because she stopped coloring her hair. It was sexist or ageist or both according to basically everyone except CTV. Everyone took a side, from Katie Couric to...
We Need to Talk About Potential Litigation
If you’re ever looking for a way to kill a conversation, raise the specter of litigation. It’s more effective at ending a conversation than feigning death, belting out “Don’t Stop Believing” or pulling the fire alarm. Worries over litigation can stymie productive discussions over how to proceed strategically during a crisis. This worry – very real as it is...
The Kith Method
Good crisis management comes from a plan. Great crisis management comes from capability – and starts before you even smell smoke. That’s why we developed the Kith Method. We can help build and maintain a flexible capability that works for you.
Your reputation is an investment; time-consuming and costly to build and expensive to repair. Protect it.