Handling a Crisis: Part 3
How to Handle a Crisis: Lead From the Front
Execution in a crisis requires precision and psychological awareness. People do not perform better when they are anxious and unclear. They perform better when they know exactly what is expected of them and feel capable of delivering it.
Be specific. Vague targets create vague results. Saying “we need to improve sales” or “we need to increase revenue” gives people nowhere to aim. Clear numbers focus effort. “I need you to generate £18,753 this month” is uncomfortable, but it is actionable. It gives someone a target they can plan around and work towards.
Before you assign responsibility, build confidence. Pressure without confidence creates panic. Confidence without pressure creates drift. The balance matters. When people believe they can handle what you are asking of them, they step up. When they feel set up to fail, they shut down.
The same approach works outside the business. In a crisis, suppliers are often under pressure too. Going in confrontationally usually hardens positions. A constructive approach invites collaboration. Saying “I have secured a major order and I need support, how can we structure this” brings people into problem-solving mode rather than defensive mode. You are signalling that there is an opportunity on the table, not just a problem to absorb.
Crisis or not, this way of leading lifts performance. Clear numbers, steady confidence and collaborative language raise the standard of execution around you. Try it with your team, with suppliers and with partners. Build confidence in everyone you deal with and watch how much more gets done.
Why I record these
Let me be straight with you.
I’ve had huge success in business — and I’ve also made some absolute humdinger mistakes.
My life in business hasn’t been a straight line. It’s been a roller-coaster — big wins, painful lessons, and moments where I wished someone had pulled me aside and said, “Slow down. Think this through.”
Now that I’m older, I feel a responsibility to pass things on.
Not because I’ve got it all figured out — I haven’t. But because I’ve lived it. And if sharing what I’ve learned helps another business owner avoid even one expensive mistake, then it’s worth doing.
Later in life, I became a student again — and I still am. A day doesn’t go by without me studying for at least an hour.
I regularly learn from people like Darren Hardy, Napoleon Hill, Brian Tracy, and Jim Rohn.
Jumpstart is my way of passing those lessons on — quietly, simply, without the noise — so you can start your day thinking a little clearer than you did yesterday.