I find it interesting to think about how the roles of Board Members have shifted with the changing times. Certainly, across my own career span, I’ve seen more talk about long-term value creation and less about short-term profitability. But change itself is an unwieldy commodity and even smart people can be reduced to transactional thinking.
In an era defined by constant digital transformation, it can be instructive to think about things that haven’t changed. One of these is tornado drills for school children. When the alarm sounds, there’s no argument about who’s on the safety committee, where’s the safest place to hide, or what to tell the children. There’s no contest to see who can run fastest and duck for cover. Because whether it’s a drill or the real deal, everyone from the Principal to the youngest child knows what they’re supposed to do, and that allows the overall response be executed calmly and quickly.
This is the point of engaging in scenario planning, and it’s something every board member should insist on. Put simply, if we have a plan in our hip pocket to deal with a tornado, we’ll be much better prepared for any other disaster—natural or otherwise—that comes our way.
Frankly, this is what saved the company I was with during the pandemic. For the better part of a year, our executive committee had been engaged in trend analysis to prompt a number of potential crisis scenarios. These generated hypothetical response plans that were shared with our Board of Directors; they asked questions, poked holes, and helped us better prepare for a number of eventualities. Not one of our scenarios called for a global pandemic and extended shutdown of the event industry. But our preparation for the conjectural calamities helped us pivot; we had a crisis communications plan in place; we had high-level consensus on priorities; we had built up capability for virtual studios with trained event techs, ready to jump in as needed. More importantly, we had already learned to think in terms of crisis-response leadership, and we knew where we stood.
I believe that a key role of any board member is to insist on this kind of scenario planning. Not because we can predict what will happen, but because we can’t. Crisis readiness isn’t optional. It starts with scenario planning and the intent to build a resilient culture. Crisis doesn’t come with a playbook, but experience helps. Mentally thinking through the possibilities—the pros and cons—can help you find your way.
I’ve led through downturns, disruptions, and global events that upended business as usual. In every crisis, the same truths surfaced:
Assess honestly and act quickly. Get the facts and share them plainly, as quickly as possible. People can handle tough news better than mixed signals.
Communicate often and clearly; stay visible. In hard times, leadership presence matters. Transparency builds trust, even when answers are evolving. Those who hesitate to share can expect rumors and fears to fill the vacuum. That said, balance speed and judgment. Move quickly, but not carelessly.
Lead with your shared values. Your principles should guide every tough call; a values-driven organization will recognize those values when acted upon, even in the face of adversity.
Board members can help the organizations they serve by asking to see leadership’s crisis planning. A simple framework should include a three-part plan to 1) React (stabilize and communicate); 2) Recalibrate (adjust the strategy to the new reality); 3) Rebuild (apply the lessons learned and move forward with strength).
The good news is, no one expects a company’s leadership team to have all the answers when an unexpected crisis hits. But directors have a duty to support with their presence, listen with an open, objective, and experienced mind, and lead with steadiness and heart.
This is not a drill. It’s the new reality.