Crisis Leadership

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Why it works

Crises, emergencies, serious incidents, tragedies, are inevitable in school leadership, and the quality of leadership in those moments shapes the outcome and the community's recovery. Research and practice on crisis leadership emphasize preparing and planning in advance (protocols, roles, communication plans), staying calm and decisive, communicating clearly, honestly, and promptly, prioritizing safety and people's wellbeing, and supporting the community's recovery afterward. Preparation beats improvisation.

The research: Research and guidance on crisis and emergency leadership.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: strengthen crisis readiness

Leaders leave having found readiness gaps and the principles they will lead by.

Review your crisis and emergency preparedness (protocols, roles, communication plan).
Identify gaps.
Plan the principles you will lead by in a crisis (calm, safety, clear honest communication, care for people).
Plan how you would support recovery afterward.

Prepare in advance, lead with calm and careYou cannot predict the crisis, but you can prepare for it. Plan protocols and communication, then lead with calm, clarity, honesty, and care for people.

Facilitator notes

Prepare protocols, roles, and communication.
Lead with calm, safety first, and clear honest communication.
Care for people and support recovery.

Improvising a crisis response fails peopleWithout preparation, crisis leadership becomes panicked improvisation. Plan protocols and communication in advance, and lead with calm and care.

Adapt it

All leaders: the same.
All settings: prepare, calm, communicate, care, recover.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Crisis Leadership: prepare, then lead with care

Preparation beats improvisation: protocols and communication planned, then calm, clarity, honesty, and care for people.

My crisis and emergency preparedness and its gaps:
The principles I will lead by in a crisis:
My communication plan:
How I prioritize safety and people:
How I would support recovery afterward:

Make it stick

Prepare and care:

Prepare in advance.
Lead with calm and care.
Bring a readiness gap you closed to the leadership team.

Common questions

How do I prepare for crises I can't predict?

You cannot predict the specific crisis, but you can prepare: clear protocols and roles, a communication plan, and practiced responses. Preparation lets you lead calmly when it happens.

What matters most in the moment?

Safety first, then staying calm and decisive, communicating clearly and honestly (promptly, even if you do not have all the answers), and caring for people. Calm and clear communication steady a community.

What about after the crisis?

Recovery matters. Support people's wellbeing, communicate honestly, allow for grief and processing, and learn from what happened. Leadership continues well past the incident.