How to Inspire Confidence in Your Team During a Crisis

As an A-10 pilot, launching on a mission often meant facing the unknown—uncertainty about what we’d encounter, how plans might change, and what challenges awaited. In those moments, it wasn’t just about staying focused; it was about leading with clarity and purpose to ensure the mission succeeded. As leaders, our mindset and actions set the tone for how teams navigate uncertainty. It’s not just about guiding them through the turbulence; it’s about inspiring confidence, maintaining focus, and ensuring the team stays motivated and engaged. Here’s what I’ve learned about leading effectively during times of change: 1️⃣ Model Calm & Confidence: When the path ahead is unclear, your team looks to you for cues. Staying composed—even when you don’t have all the answers—reduces anxiety and builds trust. 💡 Tip: Use clear, concise, correct communication to show control, even if you’re still processing the situation internally. 2️⃣ Balance Transparency with Optimism: Be honest about challenges while emphasizing opportunities. Acknowledge difficulties but focus on solutions and remind your team of their strengths. 💡 Tip: Frame obstacles as opportunities for growth and innovation. 3️⃣ Empower Decision-Making: Change often demands swift decisions. Trust your team’s expertise and avoid micromanaging. Empowering others not only reduces bottlenecks but boosts morale. 💡 Tip: Provide clear decision-making guidelines to ensure everyone knows their boundaries and responsibilities. 4️⃣ Prioritize Communication & Connection: In uncertain times, silence creates more doubt. Frequent updates, even if incomplete, help keep the team informed and aligned. 💡 Tip: Schedule informal check-ins to address concerns. Walk around and talk to your team members. 5️⃣ Focus on Long-Term Strategy: While addressing immediate challenges, keep the big picture in sight. Help your team understand how today’s actions connect to tomorrow’s goals. 💡 Tip: Reinforce the team’s sense of purpose by connecting their work to the larger mission or goal. When people understand why their efforts matter, it inspires resilience and keeps them motivated through uncertainty. By taking these steps, you not only navigate the current challenge but also prepare your team to handle future changes with confidence and resilience. #leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #FlyingInTheFaceOfFear

Leaders… Stop pretending you have all the answers. Your team can see right through it. In uncertain times, fake confidence breeds fear. Authentic clarity builds trust. The hardest test of leadership isn’t during stability. It’s when the storm hits, the map is incomplete, and the destination feels uncertain. The temptation?   - Act unshakably confident. - Or go silent. Both create fear. True leadership is about balance. Not having all the answers—but building an environment where the unknowns can be faced together. Here’s what great leaders do when uncertainty hits: 1. Clarity Over Counterfeit Confidence ✔ Don’t fake confidence—share clarity. Say: “Here’s what we know. Here’s what we don’t. Here’s our next step.” Clarity is strong. Fake confidence is fragile. ✔ Remind people of what stays true.  Mission. Values. Vision. Anchors that hold steady in chaos. ✔ Give people something tangible to focus on. A short-term goal, a project, a customer win. It brings direction when everything else feels uncertain. 2. Communication is the Lifeline ✔ Communicate more, not less. In silence, people imagine the worst. ✔ Model transparency. If you want honesty from your team, you go first. ✔ Repeat the message. What feels repetitive to you feels reassuring to them. 3. Empathy in Action ✔ Acknowledge fear. Don’t say, “Don’t worry.” Say, “I know this is stressful—and that’s okay.” ✔ Stay steady, not stoic. Calm presence > emotionless wall. ✔ Support people emotionally, not just operationally. Ask, “How are you doing, really?” 4. Inclusive Navigation ✔ Invite input, even when you can’t promise change. People don’t need every idea implemented. They just need to know they’ve been heard. Leadership in uncertainty isn’t about walking the tightrope alone. It’s about making sure the rope is steady, the net is secure, and the whole team feels ready to cross with you. What’s one practice you’ve found most effective in leading through uncertain times? #Leadership #Management #EmotionalIntelligence #TeamBuilding #PsychologicalSafety #FutureOfWork

Nonprofit executives - I've spent 20+ years working in transformational change environments & crisis moments. Here are 3 things that can help you and your team right now: 1 >> Keep Communications at the Table Your heads of external AND internal communications are vital members of any crisis or critical strategy conversations. Often, decisions are made without these leaders in the room and they are brought in too late to contribute their expertise about how best to position challenging information, share meaningful updates, and respond to tough questions. This will make it harder for everyone in the long run. Do yourself the favor and keep communications at the table - as a contributing, strategic member - from the beginning. 2 >> Provide a Proactive Channel for Questions Your team is probably pretty shaken right now. They have questions. And while you may not be able to answer them all right now, it's important to acknowledge them and work toward answers where possible. Provide a proactive way for folks to submit questions (e.g., an email address they can reach out to, a form on your intranet, designated team members throughout the org) and then find a consistent way to provide meaningful responses (e.g., all-staff meetings + a standing document on the intranet that is routinely updated). 3 >> Help Everyone Understand Their Role You and your executive team may be working through scenario planning, major donor outreach, and many other emergent needs. Your team needs to hear how they can play an important role, too. Is there specialized support or research that can be gathered? Should they focus on continuing to provide great service to your community and donors? Help them know how and where to focus their energy - and when that may need to change. Don't assume that they will know to keep following the playbook that was laid out prior to the crisis or big change. What other practical tips do you have for nonprofit executives operating in transformational change or crisis environments? Share in the comments. #nonprofit #leadership #management #ChangeLeadership --- I'm Veronica - I help CEOs and Department Heads at established nonprofits create strategic clarity and lead change well. On LinkedIn, I write about practical approaches to improving the ways we think, plan, and work.

Since inauguration, nonprofits, governments, and higher ed have been in a state of uncertainty. The most acute effect? Decision paralysis. Contracts are delayed, teams are anxious, and leaders don’t know what’s coming next. Organizations in these sectors, built for slow, consensus-driven decisions, are struggling to respond to constant shifts. The result is churn, stress, ambiguity...AND complying in advance out of fear. We can each help bring clarity and calm to these situations. Whether you’re a CEO, a middle manager, or a program lead, you can model crisis communication by answering (or asking) three simple questions: 1️⃣ What do we know to be true? State clear facts. If you don’t know, ask the room. Example: “This executive order is in effect,” or “We have funding through next year.” 2️⃣ What remains uncertain? Don’t stay silent on unknowns—it breeds fear. Explicitly name the gaps: “We don’t yet know the impact on our programs, but we’re monitoring closely.” 3️⃣ Does this change what we should do right now? Be explicit about the impact on the day-to-day. Should your team continue as usual? Pause? Prepare contingencies? If this question is punted or delayed, everyone will make individual, implicit decisions anyways. So make them intentional. This framework has helped me as an interim CEO, in coaching program leaders, and in navigating crisis moments. And it needs to be repeated every few weeks right now (because uncertainty isn’t going away). We may not have all the answers, but we can choose to communicate in a way that fosters trust instead of chaos. Let’s bring clarity where we can. #Leadership #Communication #DecisionMaking

Crisis doesn’t create leaders—𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 When everything’s on fire, the best leaders don’t just fix the problem—they manage the panic. My years as an engineer and manager at Amazon taught me a thing or two (or a million?) about how to stay calm during high severity incidents. Here’s how to keep your cool when it feels like things are on fire: 1️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿: Ground decisions in data and resist the urge to react emotionally. Emotional reactions add fuel to the fire—facts will guide you out. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 & 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆: In times of crisis, silence breeds confusion. Keep your team updated with short, actionable updates to maintain clarity. Include timelines, customer impact, and next steps. 3️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆: Not everything can be solved at once. Identify the biggest impact areas and tackle them first. Write out a list of questions you need to answer, prioritize based on impact, and start from the top. 4️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲: Don’t hesitate to engage and bring in additional support. Trust your team to handle key pieces of the incident. High-pressure moments are when autonomy shines. Leading through high-severity incidents isn't just about technical expertise—it's about maintaining composure under pressure. Calm leadership inspires trust, clarity, and results. Stay calm, lead strong, and watch your team follow suit. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How do you think about leading thru stressful times? Tell me in the comments. ⤵ ---- ♻️ Repost and share these leadership tips ➕ Follow me, Ashley VanderWel, for more 📲 Book an anonymous coaching session