Crisis management is one of the most important elements of running a business. When your company makes news for a serious mistake, it's never a good thing, which is why billions of dollars are spent each year to help manage crises and ensure the organization saves face and survives the fallout.
Typically, companies will hire an outside public relations firm to manage the incident or they will turn to their internal PR team, but even if there are selected professionals specifically designated to the crisis management task, that doesn't absolve the executive team from any serious responsibilities.
In any organization, a crisis should be an all-hands-on-deck situation, where the entirety of the team has to come together. In these situations, businesses will look to their leaders, which are typically in the form of a c-level executive. These individuals must possess the skills necessary to communicate to the public while keeping the business running in recovery mode.
It isn't enough for your executives and senior managers to know what to do in the event of a crisis — they have to execute. Ultimately, when everything is on the line, your business needs someone who can remain cool and calm under pressure. Panic is immediately recognized and, more often than not, replicated by a manager's employees. Someone who remains calm in the face of an emergency will typically lead by example and help ensure their team endures the crisis with minimal damage done to the organization.
Identifying this type of person isn't always easy. It's important to look at a managerial candidate's track record and match it with the potential for similar emergencies at your organization. Working with an executive search firm will help with this effort.
