When the World Is in Crisis, How Do You Lead?
Over the past few months, I’ve been in conversation with leaders, listening closely for what’s beneath the surface of their words. I wanted to understand how they’re navigating the layered crises of this moment: trade wars, economic instability, supply chain disruptions, legal uncertainty, epidemics, environmental instability.
Each day seems to bring a new storm. The external chaos is relentless, and the internal pressure is just as real.
What I’ve heard again and again is this: leaders aren’t just managing plans and performance. They’re absorbing impact and sense-making across their organizations, their communities, and their own nervous systems.
It may feel like we’re in uncharted territory. But history shows us that crises often define leadership legacies. And how you respond and choose to show up will shape not only your organization, but also who you become as a leader.
Monkey Mind at the Helm
In crisis, your brain doesn’t distinguish between a collapsing market and a physical threat. Our amygdala, ancient and faithful, reacts to PESTLE crises and lion’s roars the same way: FIGHT. FLIGHT. FREEZE. FAWN. FALL.
Sometimes one response dominates. Sometimes they all arrive at once. The result: a reactive state that hijacks your clarity.
When the amygdala is steering, we rely on our biases to help us make quick decisions. Many of these biases are cognitive traps like:
Selection bias: seeing only the data that supports what we already believe
Bias for action: reacting too quickly, without enough context
Omission bias: deferring action altogether in fear of choosing wrong
These instincts aren’t inherently bad. They’ve kept us alive for hundreds of thousands of years. But they’re not equipped for complexity. And they’re not who you want leading your team through uncertainty.
The good news: you can’t stop the amygdala from sounding the alarm, but you can stop following its lead and put your executive function at the wheel.
Calm the Waters Within
The storm outside stirs the storm inside. And until you calm your nervous system, you’ll struggle to think clearly, let alone lead wisely. This doesn’t require a full wellness routine. It just requires intention.
Breathe deeply. Move your body. Step outside. Talk to someone who helps you feel steady.
You don’t have to be perfect. But you do need to re-ground yourself so your executive function—the part of your brain that makes strategic, long-term decisions—can come back online.
This is not a detour. This is your essential first step.
Ground in the Why
The amygdala’s only concern is escape. It doesn’t care where you’re headed, only that you run. But when you’re leading, motion without direction is just drift.
This is where your “why” becomes essential.
Revisit your strategy. Pull out your goals. Reread your leadership philosophy. Ask:
How well does this strategy guide us in our current climate?
In light of what’s unfolding, what in my goals still holds true?
What specifically about me as a leader and a human can I offer in this moment?
These tools are your compass. When the external signals are disorienting, they keep you oriented to what matters most.
Think of it like sailing through a storm. The sky may be dark and the waves unpredictable, but the stars and the horizon haven’t moved. Your job is to keep your team focused on this truth.
Support your Team
Even if you’ve found your footing, your team may still be off balance. Their nervous systems are activated too. They’re scanning for signals, trying to understand what this moment means for them.
Leadership in crisis isn’t just about vision. It’s about empathy, presence, and communication..
Hold space for their questions and uncertainty.
Name what’s still true about your purpose and your business.
Share your perspective on what matters now, and what comes next.
Invite your team into the dance of responding to the crises in and caused by the system.
This doesn’t need to happen all at once. It can happen in one-on-ones, in team meetings, and through the leadership culture you model and amplify.
When your people feel seen and steadied by you and your leaders, they’re more capable of navigating change. And when they’re part of the solution, they become part of the organization’s resilience.
Dance with Complexity
The crises we’re facing today live in systems—economies, industries, organizations—that are deeply complex. And complexity doesn’t reward quick fixes or extreme action. In fact, those reactions often do more harm than good.
While complex systems don’t improve with strong force, they breakdown without intervention. They require feedback and action—responsiveness—from the various parts to course correct and heal. That’s why we can’t just react and we can't refuse to act. Instead, we must dance with complexity.
To do that, you must stay aligned with yourself, grounded in your strategy, flexible in your approach, and intentional in your actions. You must move with, not against, the rhythm of the system—respond rather than react.
As you re-anchor in your why, ask:
What must shift now to continue our progress?
What small, strategic levers could create mid-term stability without overcorrecting?
How might we stay nimble—able to respond, not just react—in service to our long-term vision?
How do we need to transform as leaders and an organization to meet this moment?
You’re not looking for perfect control; in fact, you’re not looking for control at all. You’re learning how to move with what’s unfolding while keeping your orientation intact.
Crises change us. They disrupt, unsettle, and accelerate. But they also offer the opportunity to transform.
By calming your system, grounding in your why, caring for your people, and dancing with complexity, you lead not only through the storm, but toward something better on the other side.
How do you stay steady in moments of complexity? What anchors you when the path ahead isn’t yet clear?
