Advertise on podcast: The Leading in a Crisis Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The headlines fade fast, but the cultural damage lingers. After a workplace crisis, employees don’t reset just because someone got fired, a settlement got signed, or new leaders arrived. We’re still asking the same hard question: can we trust this place not to fail us again? I’m joined by Natalie Holder, an employment attorney turned culture strategist and founder of Culture Repair, to dig into what post-crisis recovery really takes. We talk about the “aftershock” period when people stay guarded, innovation slows, and rumors fill the gaps. Natalie shares concrete examples leaders will recognize, from a toxic manager who denigrates staff to a high-performing creative whose “joke” Halloween costume crosses a line and triggers real harm. We also unpack why manager compliance training matters, how liability grows when leaders “don’t want to get involved,” and what it looks like to coach someone without glossing over the impact on coworkers. Natalie explains practical warning signs of an unhealthy organizational culture, including how organizations “kill the message with the messenger” and why good ideas die when the wrong person says them. We also explore HR investigations, why process consistency is everything, and how investment in HR, legal, and audit can prevent the next crisis from forming in plain sight. #culture #culturecrisis  Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail A crisis doesn’t create communication problems, it exposes the ones you’ve been living with all along. Tom Mueller sits down with Jeremy Doran, a mechanical engineer turned leadership coach and the author of “Neuroconvergent Leadership,” to talk about what happens when different brains, different communication styles, and high-stakes pressure collide. We dig into why “embracing neurodiversity” only works when leaders stop assuming everyone wants the same kind of clarity. Some teammates need every step explained in order to feel confident; others shut down the moment instructions feel like micromanagement. Jeremy shares a simple but powerful approach: learn your own communication default, ask your people what works for them, and make those expectations explicit. That one shift can change how an engineering team, a cross-functional project group, or a crisis response unit moves from friction to momentum. We also get tactical about crisis leadership. When the building’s burning, you don’t have time to build consensus, but you still need a team that trusts you enough to act fast. Jeremy explains how stress pulls us toward fight-or-flight, why a brief breathing pause can bring your thinking back online, and how leaders can retrain a “bring me problems” culture into a “bring me solutions” culture without shutting people down. We even touch the divided political climate and how curiosity-driven questions can reduce defensiveness at work and at home. If you found this useful, subscribe, share the episode with a leader you respect, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What communication habit would make your team stronger this week? Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to lose trust in a crisis is to pretend you know what you do not know. We sit down with Sal Lifrieri, a retired NYPD detective and member of an elite hostage rescue team who later worked in New York City emergency management and intelligence operations. His stories and lessons from “Leading Through Chaos” cut through the usual slogans and get into the real mechanics of crisis leadership when the media, politics, and your own ego all show up at once.  We talk about the critical first press conference, why early “facts” are often wrong, and how strong crisis communication can be both honest and steady. Sal breaks down the tension leaders feel between public relations guidance, legal caution, and the pressure to say something right now. If you lead a company, government team, or nonprofit, you will recognize the moment where certainty is rewarded socially but punished operationally.  The conversation also goes deeper into the emotional intelligence side of crisis management. Sal shares how cumulative trauma reshapes first responders over time, why relationships and support systems matter, and how one simple question from a boss “How are you doing?” can change a career. We also explore bureaucracy, the West Nile virus response, the risk communication problem created by malathion spraying, and why scanning for secondary effects is a leadership skill, not an afterthought.  Sal's book is Leading Through Chaos and can be found at major booksellers. #crisiscommunications #leadership #policing #nypd #911stories #crisismanagement Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail Minneapolis didn’t need another spark, but leadership rarely gets to choose the timing of the next crisis. We sit down with former Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara to unpack what it’s like to lead when unrest feels one headline away, when staffing is thin, and when the smallest incident can cascade into something much bigger. We get specific about crisis leadership and crisis communication: how to be honest about limited resources without sounding helpless, how to show up early and often so people know who is accountable, and how to separate facts from unknowns in a way that builds credibility. Brian also walks us through the realities of media relations under constant scrutiny, where speed pressures accuracy, narratives harden fast, and a single misstep can erase months of trust. From there, we zoom out to leadership lessons any executive can use: why presence is powerful, why listening matters when you come in as an outsider, and how the gap between expectations and reality becomes the breeding ground for frustration. Brian also reflects on the human cost of performative politics, the weight leaders carry after tragedy, and the challenge of maintaining resilience when work-life balance simply is not available. We close by returning to the ICE surge and the operational chaos of mass protests, emphasizing the balancing act of protecting lawful protest while preventing the one or two bad actors from tipping everything into destruction. If you found this helpful, subscribe for more conversations on crisis management and leadership under pressure, share the episode with someone who leads people in tough moments, and leave a review so others can find the show. #minneapolis #policing #crisismanagement #crisisleadership  Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail Minneapolis became a global symbol of crisis, and Brian O’Hara walked straight into it. Right after George Floyd, the city faced deep community mistrust, protests, and an intense spotlight on policing. At the same time, violence surged and officers left in huge numbers, turning the Minneapolis Police Department into an organization fighting for its own stability. We talk through what it actually feels like to take command when the mission is questioned, morale is broken, and every decision lands in the headlines. Brian shares why his Newark, New Jersey experience shaped his approach to police reform, community safety, and crisis leadership. We get specific about what he discovered once he was on the ground: the hidden costs of trauma inside an agency, the operational drift that shows up when urgency disappears, and the uncomfortable truth that people often say they want “change” while really wanting “progress” without loss. That insight reframes everything from internal culture to community expectations. Reach Brian O'Hara via his website at https://oharaleadership.com/ Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we revisit our interview with Jeff Johnson, a longtime maritime leader and incident commander, and president of the Cook Inlet Tug and Barge Company. This episode originally aired in 2023. Jeff has sailed on tankers, worked across the United States and overseas, and shares with us his perspective on effective crisis leadership. We dig into the traits Jeff believes matter most for crisis leadership in shipping and beyond: relentless communication, real humility, and the flexibility to change course as conditions evolve. From unified command dynamics to the human side of leadership, Jeff explains why “checking your ego at the door” is more than a slogan, and how that mindset helps protect safety, build trust with impacted communities, and keep teams working as one. Then we get practical about the Incident Command System (ICS) and crisis communications. Jeff shares advice for new responders and communicators: use ICS habits in everyday operations, swap roles during exercises to find your best fit, and actually read the plans sitting on the shelf. We also unpack what makes a strong Public Information Officer (PIO): consistent data management, accurate reporting, and the patience to listen and stay for the full set of questions. Finally, Jeff outlines how global shipping changes incident planning, why strong partners matter, and how delegated authority and deputy leadership can speed approvals and prevent the endless revise-and-resubmit loop. #crisisleadership #leadership #crisiscomms #Alaska #CookInlettugandbarge Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail You can’t rely on “I’ll believe it when I see it” anymore, and that single shift changes everything about crisis communication. When AI can generate convincing text, images, and video in minutes, your website stops being a nice-to-have and becomes a core piece of brand defense, public trust, and operational resilience. We sit down with Wes Towers, a digital marketing and website expert joining us from Melbourne, Australia to map out what’s changing and what still works. We talk about how AI-driven misinformation erodes credibility, why deepfakes raise the bar for proof, and how even ordinary business websites can become security liabilities. Wes explains the practical tradeoff between WordPress and other CMS platforms versus hard-coded sites, and why “less moving parts” can mean fewer vulnerabilities when threats accelerate. Then we get tactical about what to publish and how to structure it. We break down the trust signals that help real people and AI systems evaluate legitimacy: credentials, awards, recognizable client brands, reviews, and case studies that only you can tell. We also dig into crisis readiness, from the need for fast updates to why separate crisis websites can keep routine business functions running while stakeholders get the details they need. Along the way, we connect the dots between SEO and AI visibility, because the same clear, high-quality signals increasingly shape what large language models “know” about your organization. You can reach Wes at his company website: Uplift360.com.au #crisiscomms #crisiswebsites #crisiscommunications #crisisleadership #ai #crisismanagement Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail Your smartest plan can still fail if people don’t feel seen first. We sit down with persuasion expert and author Josh Bandoch to unpack what actually moves human beings to action, especially when emotions are running hot and the pressure is real. If you lead teams, handle crisis management, or communicate for a living, this conversation connects the dots between neuroscience, psychology, and practical leadership communication. We get into why great persuaders lead with emotional intelligence and why negativity bias makes fear and criticism “stick” more than reassurance. Josh explains the fastest way to lose trust in a crisis: telling people they shouldn’t feel what they feel, or ordering them to calm down. Instead, we talk through how to name emotions clearly, build common ground, and then pivot to a credible plan that keeps talented people from checking out or jumping ship. We also dig into persuasive storytelling, including what makes a story memorable and motivating, plus what Josh learned preparing his TEDx talk on how to be more persuasive. To close, we apply these ideas to election season and the line between persuasion and manipulation, with a simple filter for listening to candidates: do they feel authentic, and are they inviting shared action or trying to conquer the room? #crisiscommunications #crisiscomms #persuasion #crisismanagement #leadership #crisisleadership #storytelling If this helps you lead with more clarity and calm, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more leaders can find it. Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail A doctor walks into the station leader’s office in Antarctica and asks a question no one wants to answer during a pandemic: “How would we evacuate someone right now?” With flights effectively off the table, scarce ships in the region, and weather as the ultimate gatekeeper, David Knoff faces a leadership test that turns crisis theory into cold, hard logistics. In Part 2 of our conversation with David Knoff, we talk through the Christmas Eve 2020 medevac that required international coordination from China, the USA, and Australia; runway construction, and contingency plans for everything from aircraft issues to overland rescue access. David breaks down what actually kept the team steady: a shared purpose everyone could understand, a deliberate decision to put key people on rest so they could peak when it mattered, and a practical approach he calls “delegating the worry.” Instead of one overwhelmed leader carrying every fear, clear roles and ownership turn anxiety into action. We also zoom out to the systems that make a response like this possible. David explains how monthly incident management drills create muscle memory, including training for secondary roles when the leader or doctor is off station. Then we shift to the human side: repatriation back to Australia after 18 months away, the culture shock of COVID-era airports and rules, and the quiet burnout that can hit when you’re finally “off duty” after a long stretch of responsibility. Along the way, we discuss David’s book 537 Days of Winter, why writing it was cathartic and unflinching, what he’s watching (yes, Alone), and how he’s researching his next leadership-focused book on operating in extreme environments. If you lead teams through uncertainty, you’ll leave with concrete lessons on crisis leadership, incident management, resilience, and recovery. Subscribe, share this with a leader who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Find David's book and connect with him via LinkedIn or his website, David.Knoff.com #crisismanagement #crisisleadership #crisiscomms #antarctica #resiliency #crisistraining #537daysofwinter Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail When COVID hit, David Knoff was leading Australia’s Davis Station in Antarctica, expecting a one-year rotation with a predictable route home. What he got instead was a blunt message from headquarters: the mission is extended, the logistics are collapsing, and no one can promise a firm extraction date. If you’ve ever had to lead through uncertainty, this story lands hard because it strips crisis leadership down to the essentials. We talk about the leadership and coping challenges of being far from home, stranded, and unsure what the future might bring. This remote assignment is not so different from what astronauts experience and train for in space. And what do you do when one of your team stops coping with this impossible situation and gives up? David sheds light on how he and his team managed through that situation, tapping into his military and diplomatic experience.  Then we get into the most human part of crisis management: what happens when one person stops coping. David explains how he and his leadership core respond, why the wider group matters more than a heavy-handed command approach, and how teams can recover after a low point.  We get some fantastic leadership insights in this episode. Please like and subscribe. David's new book, 437 Days of Winter, is available at bookstores in Australia and New Zealand, and on Amazon in other countries.  You can reach David through is website, DavidKnoff.com. #crisismanagement #crisisleadership #antarctica #crisiscomms #resiliency #crisistraining #537daysofwinter  Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail When 50,000 people are evacuated, the emergency is only half the fight, the other half is the information. We pick up our conversation with Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey, a veteran incident commander, to unpack what really happens when a major response collides with nonstop public demand, intense media pressure, and elected officials who want to lead the narrative for their communities. The result can be a messy communications environment where accuracy, timing, and trust are on the line.  We talk candidly about the “joint, unified information pipeline” and why going off script creates confusion for residents and unnecessary friction for responders. Covey explains how cooperator meetings and direct conversations can reset expectations, protect city managers from surprises, and keep updates clear and consistent across multiple impacted jurisdictions. You’ll also hear a practical leadership move that turns political attention into operational advantage: tasking elected leaders to push emergency declarations quickly, delivering relief for residents and opening the door to state and federal resources if conditions worsen.  The episode goes deep on modern crisis communications tools and threats: the value of a single crisis website or pre-built “dark site,” the challenge of fragmented city messaging and social media, and how AI can help teams publish faster in multiple languages across diverse communities. Then we hit the unnerving part, a deepfake video that made Covey appear to speak fluent Vietnamese using his own briefing footage, and what that implies for misinformation during disasters.  If you care about emergency management, public information officer best practices, incident command leadership, or crisis communication strategy, this conversation is loaded with field-tested lessons. Subscribe, share this with your favorite PIO or IC, and leave a review, then tell us: what’s the hardest part of keeping one trusted message during a crisis? #emergencymanagement #crisismanagement #crisiscommunications #ocfa #publicinformation #PIO Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail One call can reshape an entire weekend, a city’s sense of safety, and the credibility of the people in charge. I’m joined by Orange County Fire Authority Division 1 Chief Craig Covey, a veteran incident commander with 32 years in the fire service, to talk through what it really feels like to make an evacuation decision when the stakes are massive and the information is still developing. We walk through the Garden Grove GKN chemical release and the real-world pressures behind ordering an evacuation impacting 40,000 to 50,000 residents plus thousands of businesses. Chief Covey explains how he weighs intel, leans on hazmat experts, and makes peace with a hard truth in crisis management: you cannot judge the decision by the outcome. Protecting the community has to come first, even when the economic and political pressure is intense. We also get practical about crisis communications. Chief Covey shares why he chose to speak plainly, often without notes, and how “just tell them the truth” became a north star for public updates. We dig into the Public Information Officer partnership, the challenge of social media misinformation, and the balancing act between media briefings and the Incident Command System planning cycle so operations keep moving while the public stays informed. If you care about emergency management, public safety leadership, or crisis communication best practices, this conversation delivers grounded lessons you can apply. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more incident commanders and PIOs can find it. #emergencymanagement #crisismanagement #crisiscommunications #ocfa #publicinformation #PIO Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail When tens of thousands of people have to leave home over a chemical incident, the hardest part isn’t just operations, it’s keeping the public confidently informed while the story explodes across the news. We pick up our conversation with Greg Barta, Public Information Officer for Orange County Fire Authority, on what actually works when the phones won’t stop ringing and every word can move a community.  We dig into OCFA’s crisis communication strategy on X, why it remains their primary channel, and how that choice serves two critical audiences at once: residents who need clear instructions and the media who amplify official updates. Greg shares how the team uses short incident commander video messages to “feed the beast” with accurate B roll and soundbites, while still carving out time for one off interviews with local affiliates and national outlets without pulling chiefs away from running unified command.  We also get real about pressure points: a tiny on air wording slip that triggers hours of follow up, how media monitoring helps you spot problems fast, and why it’s better to admit uncertainty than to guess. Then we zoom out to crisis websites, the danger of information vacuums, and what it signals when a responsible company is largely invisible in public messaging. Along the way, Greg talks onboarding brand new PIOs mid crisis, choosing between specialists and well rounded reps, and the leadership support that makes timely, accurate updates possible.  Subscribe for more crisis management lessons, share this with a communicator who needs it, and leave a review so more responders and leaders can find the show.  #ocfa #gknaerospace #crisiscomms #crisiscommunications #PIO #gardengrove #emergencymanagement #orangecounty Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail When a chemical incident triggers the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, communications stops being a “nice to have” and becomes operational. We’re back with Greg Barta, Public Information Officer for the Orange County Fire Authority, to dig into the nuts and bolts of crisis communication that most people never see: where to stage a press conference, how to set the tone, and the subtle skill of knowing when it’s time to end Q&A before it turns into a loop of repeats and rumors. We also get candid about staffing and endurance. Greg walks through how his incident management team scaled PIO coverage with a 24/7 posture, including clear assignments for on-camera interviews, a dedicated media phone line, and a rover role to absorb surges. If you’ve ever wondered how agencies keep messaging consistent across multiple shifts and multiple partner agencies, this is a practical look at building a battle rhythm that holds up after the chaotic first 24 to 48 hours. Then we zoom out to coordination: the interplay between the PIO shop and the liaison officer when elected officials are intensely engaged, and why a dedicated elected officials briefing can protect the core response while keeping leaders informed. On the public side, we talk community hotlines run through the Emergency Operations Center, the flood of social media comments and X direct messages, and what happens when “helpful suggestions” start clogging the system. If crisis management, emergency communications, media relations, and incident command are part of your world, you’ll leave with tactics you can apply immediately. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more crisis leaders can find the show. #ocfa #gknaerospace #crisiscomms #crisiscommunications #PIO #gardengrove #emergencymanagement #orangecounty Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail Imagine being PIO for an incident that includes the evacuation of 50,000 local residents and and a real threat of major explosion or chemical release that could cause massive damage to homes and businesses. That' black swan scenario is what PIO Greg Barta was facing with his team at Orange County Fire Authority this past Memorial Day weekend when a runaway chemical reaction threatened their community. Greg serves as lead Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Orange County Fire Authority and gives us an inside look at how the team organized and managed communications to local residents and media around this incident.  We walk through what it looks like to staff up communications on a holiday weekend when you only have a few full time shift PIOs who just completed their PIO training the day before the incident. Talk about being tossed into the deep end of the pool!  Greg shares with us his strategy for relying on videos and social media to communicate critical incident updates to the evacuated communities. This proved an effective strategy, largely owing to the communications skills and empathy of the incident commanders and fire chief who appeared in the videos.  We also dig into the mechanics that keep a unified message intact: media advisories, daily talking points as living documents, and a fast approval loop with unified command so information moves quickly without getting sloppy. Finally, we talk media relations when the story goes national, reporters are clustered at the command post, and a press conference expands to nine speakers, plus the pre briefing steps that kept the event controlled and on message. This is part one of a multi part deep dive. Subscribe, share this with a communicator who needs it, and leave a review. #OCFA #gknaerospace #crisis comms #crisiscommunications #PIO #orangecounty #gardengrove  Support the show We'd love to hear from you.  Email the show at [email protected].