Which communications keep executives up at night? In my experience, it isn’t earnings announcements, product launches, or major strategic updates. It’s leadership shifts and reorganizations. Leadership changes are highly political and uniquely human in their impacts. They might involve an involuntary exit, defection to a competitor, an underperforming part of the business, or a major shift in investment. Leaders’ pride is on the line and employees might be confused or unhappy

We don’t need to look far to find recent examples of a social crisis: the Hamas attacks in Israel and Israel’s subsequent response; mass shootings motivated by racial, religious, and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment; the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v Wade and abortion rights; the murder of George Floyd; and the rise of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are just a few of many. These events cut across the political spectrum. Sometimes, external stakeholders loo

When a crisis hits, leaders must make fast, high-stakes decisions with incomplete information. Many companies rely on detailed crisis plans, but those plans often fall short in the moment. This article explores how guiding principles provide a clearer framework for making consistent, defensible communication decisions under pressure.

Something has gone wrong, and your company’s trust and reputation are suddenly at risk. What do you do? For many leaders, this is the most acute communications stress point they will ever face. The stakes are high, the scrutiny is immediate, and one misstep can make the situation significantly worse. What makes this harder today is that crises no longer arrive in isolation. Many organizations are operating in a state of “permacrisis” with continuous disruption, heightened vis