Table of Contents

💭 Summary

Unfortunately, part of being a leader sometimes means leading people through difficult times or crises. When this happens, engineering leaders must be able to quickly assess the situation, coordinate responses and be part of critical decisions to mitigate the impact on the team, the infrastructure, data security, and business operations.

What constitutes a crisis?

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A crisis can be broadly defined as any situation or event that poses a significant threat to an organisation's operations, reputation, or stakeholders and requires immediate action to mitigate its impact. Crises can vary widely in nature and severity, but they often share common characteristics:

  1. Suddenness: Crises typically occur suddenly or unexpectedly, giving little or no advance warning to the organisation. They may arise from natural disasters, technological failures, security breaches, or sudden market shifts.
  2. Disruption: Crises have the potential to disrupt normal business operations, causing chaos, confusion, and uncertainty. They can affect various aspects of an organisation, including infrastructure, supply chains, finances, and reputation.
  3. Escalation: Without proper intervention, crises have the potential to escalate rapidly, exacerbating the impact and making it more difficult to manage effectively. Quick and decisive action is often necessary to prevent further escalation.
  4. High Stakeholder Impact: Crises typically involve stakeholders such as employees, customers, investors, regulators, and the general public, whose interests are at risk. The actions taken during a crisis can have significant implications for these stakeholders and their perception of the organisation.
  5. Media Attention: Crises often attract media attention, leading to increased scrutiny and public exposure. Effective communication and reputation management are critical during a crisis to maintain trust and credibility.

Examples of crises include natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes), cybersecurity breaches, product recalls, financial scandals, legal disputes, and public relations disasters. Each crisis requires a tailored response strategy to address its unique challenges and mitigate its impact on the organisation.

Staying Calm Under Pressure

<Resources/training around tactical things to do in crises>

🧠 Thought Leadership

📚 Further Reading/Training