Supporting Your People At Work During Major Societal Events: What’s a Leader’s Role?
Traditional crisis leadership is rooted in control:
make quick, decisive moves,
maintain stability, and
minimize disruption.
But that model doesn’t apply in the face of today’s crises that are systemic, existential, and accelerating.
Leaders who think their job is simply to “manage” crisis rather than actively mobilize against harmful forces will find themselves complicit in the very systems they claim to oppose.
Conscious leadership in crisis requires more than steadiness. It demands the ability to navigate complexity, hold space for uncertainty, and mobilize people toward solutions that don’t yet exist. Instead of having all the answers, a leader's role is to create the conditions where the best possible answers can emerge.
And in a moment when the stakes aren’t just high but existential, leadership in crisis isn’t just about keeping people stable—it’s about mobilizing them toward meaningful resistance and systemic transformation.
The Role of a Conscious Leader during Crisis
1.Anchor in Reality → Name the Threat Clearly Without Spreading Panic
Denial and avoidance don’t help, but neither does unfiltered fear. Fear, despair, and overwhelm are just as potent as physical repression in silencing movements. A leader’s job is to acknowledge the full scope of the crisis–without sugarcoating or catastrophizing—expose exactly who is benefitting from it, and what can be acted upon.
Why? In moments of democratic backsliding and rising authoritarianism, vagueness is complicity. Every crisis has an architect–someone profiting from disorder, uncertainty, and fear. Leadership is not just about seeing the system—it’s about exposing precisely what is happening, who is benefiting, and what’s at risk.
Without this: People remain in denial, assuming “it won’t get that bad,” and miss critical windows for action.
2. Create Psychological Safety → Build Networks of Solidarity So People Can Show Up and Problem-Solve Together
In times of stress, people default to self-protection when they don’t feel sufficiently supported or resourced. Leaders must counteract this by fostering connection, trust, and open communication so their teams can engage rather than retreat into survival mode.
Why? Because safety in these times isn’t just emotional—it’s structural. Leaders must ensure their people are not just supported but connected, so no one is left to navigate this alone.
Without this: People isolate, freeze, or self-censor—when what we need is mass coordination and mutual support.
3. Balance Urgency with Thoughtfulness → Prioritize Strategic Resistance
Every crisis creates a pressure to act immediately, but reactivity often leads to short-sighted solutions. The best leaders don’t just put out fires—they ensure the rebuilding prevents future ones.
Why? Not all resistance is effective. Leaders must balance immediate action with long-term capacity-building so we don’t just react—we organize.
Without this: Movements burn out, energy is wasted on symbolic gestures, and real leverage points are missed.
4. Decentralize Power → Distribute Leadership to Increase Agility for Greater Impact
The right needs only a few leaders to function—the left needs mass participation. Waiting for a hero to save the day is antithetical to equitable power structures. Leaders trying to prevent the descent into fascism mustn’t try to control everything, or step back completely. They must create the conditions for many leaders to rise at once. Effective movements train people in decision making, give them real ownership, and ensure information flows freely. Pair decentralization with structure–adaptive, empowered teams must also have clear roles, coordinated efforts, and supportive frameworks.
Why? Fascist systems consolidate power. The antidote is distributed, leaderful movements that can adapt and sustain pressure.
Without this: Resistance remains fragile—if a few key figures fall, everything crumbles.
5. Lead with Conviction → Inspire Action, Not Just Awareness or Hope
Hope alone won’t change anything—action will. A leader’s role is to hold the vision for what comes next and mobilize people toward it. Even when the outcome is uncertain, leaders create momentum through clarity and commitment.
Why? Hope alone won’t save us. Leaders must channel fear into action, grief into mobilization, and uncertainty into preparation. People need to believe they can fight back—and win.
Without this: Fatalism sets in, people check out, and authoritarianism tightens its grip without resistance.
The Shift: From Stability to All-Hands-On-Deck Mobilization
In everyday crises, leadership stabilizes people.
In existential crises, leadership activates them.
This isn’t about returning to normal—it’s about ensuring we still have the ability to shape our future at all.
So, where will you start?
Tomorrow: Name the reality clearly—who is at risk, what is changing, what matters most.
This Week: Map out who in your organization is ready to lead alongside you. Identify coalitions.
This Month: Fascism grows in silence. Take a public stand and bring others with you.
Right Now: If you’re ready to lead this shift, let’s talk.
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