Tag: Leadership

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3 Crises you won’t see coming (but should be ready for)

Most crises don’t begin with headlines.

They begin with silence.

With a decision made too quickly, or not at all.
With a message sent internally that spreads externally.

In today’s landscape, crisis comms isn’t just about knowing what to say when things go wrong.

It’s about seeing the warning signs that others miss.

I’ve outlined three crises I see organisations overlook again and again and what to do about
them.

Take a look through them. Then ask yourself, are we prepared for these?

If you’d like a Crisis Comms Prep Checklist I put together for leadership and comms teams, just message me. I’ll send it your way.

Because in a real crisis, you won’t have time to get ready. You either are or you aren’t.

3 Crises you won’t see coming (but should be ready for)

1. Silent Walkouts

  • You notice morale dipping.
  • Then key team members start to leave quietly

Tip: Early warning signs often show in silence, not complaints.

2. Algorithmic Discrimination

  • An AI tool unintentionally biases hiring decisions
  • The story becomes a reputational risk.

Tip: Your crisis plan must now include AI governance.

3. Values & Action Misalignment

  • The brand speaks on social impact.
  • But its partnerships suggest otherwise.

Tip: Audit your partnerships before someone else does.

Why These Go Unnoticed

They don’t feel like problems — until they become one.

By the time leadership is fully aware, the damage is already in motion.

Preparation starts with full risk awareness and clarity on what to do when issues surface.

Want to pressure test your crisis readiness?

I’ve created a Repuational Risk Tool for internal teams.

Get in touch if you’d like a copy.

Sometimes the best defence is having a plan you hope never to use.

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The first hour crisis blueprint

first hour crisis blueprint

When the unexpected hits, the first 60 minutes decide everything.

In those moments, instinct kicks in but instinct without a plan can quickly unravel.

That’s why I run “first hour” drills with leadership teams.

We walk through what to do minute by minute: fact-checking, activating the right people, monitoring, and getting clear messages out fast.

It’s not theory. It’s practice.

Because in a real crisis, you don’t rise to the occasion you fall back on your training.

👉 Curious what that looks like? This is the blueprint I use to help leaders prepare.

The first hour crisis blueprint

What to do when the clock starts…

  • 0–10 mins Check facts from source. No speculation
  • 10–20 mins Initiate Crisis Management team, brief Crisis Comms agency and switch on social media monitoring.
  • 20–30 mins Agree and issue holding statement.
  • 30–45 mins Draft follow up internal and external comms (concise, clear, calm).
  • 45–60 mins Issue updated comms.

Act Now Debrief later

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Why AI reputational risks need cultural readiness

AI reputational risks

The biggest AI reputational risks I’m seeing inside organisations right now:

  • Deepfakes (external threat)
  • Biased or offensive AI outputs (internal threat)
  • Confidential data leaks via unsecured AI use (internal threat)
  • Misinformation amplified by AI (external threat)

I’ve advised leadership teams through all four in the last 12 months.

The fix isn’t just technical – it’s cultural and procedural.

Every team, from comms to legal to IT, needs to know their role before it happens.

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Why crisis communication readiness protects reputation

Crisis communication readiness with Mangold Consultancy.

In 80% of crises I handle, the damage isn’t caused by the event itself

It is caused by what is said or not said in the first 24 hours.

I have seen small incidents spiral into national headlines because leaders guessed their way through the response.

I have also seen major crises vanish from public conversation in days because the messaging was prepared in advance.

Crisis communication is not spin.

  • It is readiness.
  • It is knowing what to say before you have to say it.

If you want that level of readiness for your organisation, we should talk now, not when the crisis has already arrived.

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Why reputation in crisis communications matters

Reputation in crisis communications - you don't need to go viral

You don’t need to go viral

You need to stay credible.

The next headline won’t care how many views your last post got.

What matters is

  • Can you be trusted?
  • Are you consistent?
  • Will people believe you when it counts?

A tech founder I worked with had all the right metrics online. But when their product failed and the media called they froze.

The polish cracked. The trust dropped.

In crisis comms, reach is nice. But reputation is everything.

Build that. And everything else follows.

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Why crisis leadership is not always about the job title

In a crisis, leadership is not always about the job title

After following my son onto a roller coaster, I realised something about crisis leadership.

I have led crisis teams through events watched by millions.

I have guided CEOs through live interviews knowing the wrong phrase could cost them everything.

But on a rollercoaster in Florida, my youngest son was the leader.

I just followed.

It reminded me that in a crisis, leadership is not always about the job title.

It is about the person with the calm, clear head when everything feels like it is going off the rails.

I have been that person in the middle of breaking news and corporate storms.

It is why organisations keep me close before they need me.

If you do not have someone like that in your corner, you are leaving it to chance.

And chance is not a strategy.

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The one question that shapes every crisis communication strategy

There’s one question I’ve asked in dozens of boardrooms, training rooms and crisis management rooms over the years.

No matter the sector, the size of the organisation or the titles in the room – it always changes the energy.

I usually wait for the right moment. The conversation is flowing. People are confident. They think they’re prepared.

Then I ask it.

“What’s the one thing you’ve not told me that you hope no one ever finds out?”

It’s not about digging for secrets. It’s about surfacing risk. Because that’s usually where the real vulnerability lives and where the real comms work begins.

You cannot build a credible crisis comms strategy without being truly honest about what would do the real damage, if revealed.

That one question has shaped entire strategies. It has revealed gaps, rebuilt trust and prepared teams for headlines they never thought they’d face.

What’s the hardest question you’ve ever had to ask a client or a leader? I’d love to hear.

At Mangold Consultancy we help teams prepare for crisis situations through practical communication training. Get in touch to find out more

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5 Lessons from Senior Business Execs to make you a better leader

Lessons from senior business leaders

Tips from media interviews with Senior Business Leaders: a year of learning in the virtual room

Global Media and Entertainment; Health, Sports and Fitness; High Street Brands, City Law Firms and Entrepreneurs. Over the last 12 months we’ve trained senior leaders from some of the world’s biggest and most successful brands.

When we pivoted to virtual media training, we never imagined the roll call of people we would work with. And yet a year on, we have had a privileged and unique insight into a diverse roster of senior leaders from many industries.

Continue reading “5 Lessons from Senior Business Execs to make you a better leader”