Avoid the Panic: Leadership Lessons in Crisis Management

Crisis is an inevitable part of life. Whether you’re running a team, a business, or in the depths of an Olympic campaign, there’re no two ways about it - something will go wrong at some point. What separates the elite from the average isn’t whether they face the chaos or not... it’s how they lead themselves and others through it.

For me, leadership in crisis management isn’t just about showing up strong when everything’s falling apart—it’s about setting the foundations long before the storm even hits. Because you don't want to be scrambling to figure out Plan B when Plan A barely got going.

Here’s how I’ve seen—and practised—leadership in crisis through three crucial phases: Identification, Preparation, and Response.

1. Identification: History Doesn’t Lie (But You Do Have to Listen)

The best way to deal with a crisis is to avoid it altogether. Simple. Done. Sorted.

Well… maybe easier said than done.

You can’t always see a crisis coming, but you can spot the patterns that often lead to one. A coach that I work with, for example, has built a ridiculously detailed database over the years—basically a performance bible for his divers. It tracks how each diver’s progress unfolds over a season, identifying the exact moments things tend to go off track.

This allows him to learn from the past to predict future trends and anticipate possible scenarios. It’s incredibly helpful, especially in a sport like diving where consistency, precision and timing are everything.

Takeaways:

• Use performance history and patterns to flag potential trouble spots.

• Regularly review data to catch dips before they spiral into disasters.

• Crisis prevention = elite leadership. Don’t just react—anticipate.

2. Preparation: Plan for the Win, Prepare for the Curveball

In diving, the goal was always clear. The path to get there, not so much.

One thing I learned over time is that good leaders don’t just plan for the dream—they also prepare for the detour. I knew that I was going to retire after the 2024 season. So, before the Paris 2024 qualifiers, I created a plan for how I would end my career positively, even if I didn’t qualify. Now, of course I would have been gutted if that happened and I had to execute that plan. But I’d already done the emotional work and created a backup mindset so I was ready to handle the disappointment and possibly an alternative trajectory of life.

The truth is, when you prepare only for the best-case scenario, you leave yourself vulnerable to anything less. And if you're leading others, that vulnerability multiplies.

Takeaways:

• Think like a strategist, not just an optimist—consider multiple outcomes.

• Leadership means staying composed, especially when others look to you for answers.

• Mental rehearsal of setbacks = smoother emotional response when (not if) they come.

3. Response: Calm, Creative, and Capable Under Pressure

Sometimes, despite all your prep, the universe can throw anything at you, such as… I don’t know… a global pandemic!

Yeah, that happened to all of us. Here’s my Covid context

In 2020, everything we’d planned for the Olympic year suddenly dissolved. Pools closed. Training stopped. Schedules ruined. Could’ve been total chaos. But my coach didn’t panic. She didn’t sugar-coat it either. She calmly assessed the situation, adjusted our plans, and created a new training routine for us to follow from home—using what we had instead of focusing on what we’d lost.

Her response didn’t erase the stress, but it set the tone: control the controllables. And the result was that two of our group, including myself, still made it to the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

Leadership in a crisis isn’t about pretending everything’s fine—it’s about guiding people through with clear, confident steps and a steady emotional compass.

Takeaways:

• A great response requires calm AND creativity—don’t underestimate either.

• A leader’s energy is contagious. Keep calm, and your team will too.

• Resilience isn’t just a mindset—it’s a method. Practice it.

Conclusion: Crisis Doesn’t Build Leaders. It Reveals Them.

The truth is, you don’t become a good leader during a crisis. You become one through your habits, preparation, and foresight long before the pressure’s on. But when the it hits, that’s your moment to show who you really are.

The magic ingredient through all three phases—identification, preparation, and response—is self-belief. You have to trust your instincts, your process, and your ability to guide yourself and others through the storm.

That’s what sets real leaders apart—not perfection, but proactive courage.

🚨 Been through a leadership crisis? What did you learn?
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📤 Share this with someone leading through tough times right now.
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