⚓

Leading Through
Crisis

A 4-Week Leadership Workshop Series

"Everything rises and falls on leadership."

— John Maxwell

Series Overview

4 Weeks. 4 Perspectives.

"How we view things determines how we do things." — Maxwell

1

Understanding Crisis

What crisis is — and why perspective is the leader's most important asset

2

Leading Yourself First

7 priorities for crisis leadership — starting with managing yourself

3

Adaptability & Clarity

Conformity vs. adaptability — adjusting your way to victory

4

Showing Up & Moving Forward

Real leaders show up early, visibly, and with clarity

4 × 90-minute sessions · Small group activities · Personal commitments each week

Week 1 · Understanding Crisis

What Is a Crisis?

📖

Dictionary

Intense difficulty
or danger

🏛️

Greek (krino)

A decision

🏥

Medical

A turning point —
better or worse

"A crisis is an intense time of difficulty requiring a decision that will be a turning point."

Week 1 · 5 Truths

5 Truths About Crisis

1

Crisis is common

Every generation believes its crisis is unprecedented. It rarely is.

2

Crisis is distracting

Leaders help people gain traction in a time of distraction.

3

Crisis reveals what is inside us

Choices make us. Crisis reveals us. When squeezed, what's inside comes out.

4

Crisis requires adaptability

Great coaches separate themselves at halftime — by adjusting to reality.

5

Crisis is when real leaders show up

Early. Visible. Clear. People-first.

Week 2 · Leading Yourself First

7 Crisis Leadership Priorities

1

People First

Always has been. Always will be.

2

Educate Yourself

Know what you're actually dealing with.

3

Be Flexible

Plan B — and C — and D.

4

Leverage Your Team

All of us are smarter than one of us.

5

Communicate Judiciously

Less talking. More thinking. Wise, not more.

6

Be Authentic

Tell the truth. Uncertainty is okay.

7

Manage Yourself

"My most difficult leadership challenge is leading me." — Maxwell

Week 2 · Crisis Reveals Us

"King Arthur would ask each knight: 'Show me your scars.' If none existed, he would say, 'Leave me and go get your scars.'"

— John Hope Bryant, Love Leadership

Just as steel is forged through fire,
leaders are forged through loss.

Reflection: What scars do you carry that make you a stronger leader today?

Week 3 · Adaptability & Clarity

Conformity vs. Adaptability

Conformity ✗

  • — Negative quality
  • — Driven by fear of rejection
  • — Blending in with the crowd
  • — Weakness — you shrink

Adaptability ✓

  • + Positive quality
  • + Driven by desire to succeed
  • + Adjusting intelligently
  • + Strength — you grow

"There are only 5 tournaments I knew I'd win from the first tee. All the others — I had to adjust my way to victory."

— Tom Watson, golfer, Top 10 all time

Week 3 · Activity

The Plan B Workshop

A

Plan A — Original Approach

What were you working toward? What assumptions were you making?

↓
?

What Has Changed?

What conditions, facts, or assumptions have shifted?

↓
B

Plan B — Adaptive Response

Given what's changed, what is the adjusted approach? What is the smallest first step?

Week 4 · Decision Framework

The PGE Framework

Structuring judgment when certainty isn't available

P

Pains

What is the potential loss if this decision goes wrong?

G

Gains

What is the potential upside if this decision goes well?

E

Experience

What does your intuition — earned through prior crises — tell you?

PGE doesn't remove uncertainty. It structures judgment.

Week 4 · Leaders Show Up

Crisis Is When Real Leaders Show Up

⏰

Early

Before others notice. Before asked.

👁️

Visible

People follow presence, not position.

🧭

Clear

Direction — even without all answers.

"In war, the soldiers should always see the officer's back."

— Israeli Military principle, shared by Elliot, Golan Heights

Delta CEO — COVID response

"We're prepared. We've learned. We've taken action."

Uncertainty ≠ poor leadership

It's an indicator of the need for leadership.

Personal Leadership Declaration

"In a crisis,
I commit to..."

Not a goal. Not a metric. A statement of character and intention. Write something true — not impressive.

"This too shall pass."

— Solomon, quoted by John Maxwell

1 / 11