Leading Through Fire – Developing Mental Readiness for a Crisis
Most organizations have some level of operational readiness for a crisis and yet still respond ineffectively when a crisis strikes. The reason is that well-built structures alone are not enough in moments of crisis. Leaders and organizations need both operational readiness AND mental readiness – the ability to make smart choices quickly in a crisis – to respond effectively. This session explores the dynamics of mental readiness, some common patterns that predictably play out in a crisis, and how to use that knowledge to protect your organization’s competitive position.
What you’ll learn:
- The three elements of mental readiness and why they matter.
- The power of asking the right questions in the right order at the right time.
- The dynamics of trust in a crisis.
- The decision criteria for what to do and say — and when to do and say it — in a crisis.
- The single most powerful crisis response strategy and how to implement it.
- The structure of an effective standby statement.
Katie Garcia
Senior Advisor & Chief of Staff
Logos Consulting Group
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From Readiness to Response: Leading Teams Through the Fire
Turning mental readiness into coordinated action when crisis strikes
When a crisis hits, even the strongest plans depend on how well teams think, act, and align under pressure. This panel explores how organizations turn mental readiness into fast, coordinated response — keeping leaders synced, messages clear, and trust intact. You’ll gain practical insights into how high-performing teams make decisions in uncertain moments, avoid common crisis traps, and maintain control of the narrative when stakes are high.
What you’ll learn:
- How to translate individual mental readiness into team-wide action.
- Common decision-making pitfalls that slow or derail crisis response.
- Techniques to strengthen alignment across leadership, legal, HR, and communications.
- How trust becomes the engine for speed, clarity, and message discipline.
The Dangerous Middle: What to Say, What to Withhold, and How to Buy Time When the Facts Aren’t Clear
The gray zone between crisis ignition and confirmed understanding—when missteps most often occur and reputational damage accelerates.
Participants will examine how pressure from media, internal stakeholders, and leadership can force premature statements that narrow options and create unnecessary risk.
The discussion emphasizes disciplined communication choices that preserve credibility, protect future decisions, and keep organizations in control while facts are still emerging.
What you’ll learn:
- How organizations lose control by speaking too early.
- When silence is strategic vs. when it becomes suspicious.
- How to set expectations without locking yourself into statements you’ll regret.
- Why you should take the long view even when time is short.
- Techniques for buying time while maintaining credibility.
- The difference between transparency and over-disclosure in the first 24–48 hours.
Nick Lanyi
Versatile Comms Consultant and Writer
Ragan Consulting Group
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Reputation Management After a Crisis: Rebuilding Trust Through Clarity, Credibility, and Meaningful Action
A crisis ends – then the reckoning begins.
In this closing session, Larry Kamer provides a structured, practical roadmap for restoring trust after a high-stakes event. Drawing on more than four decades advising global companies, public institutions, and nonprofit leaders—along with extensive university teaching in crisis communication and leadership—he will break down how organizations diagnose reputational damage, clarify stakeholder expectations, and rebuild credibility through sustained action and disciplined communication.
The session emphasizes that reputation recovery is not a messaging exercise but a long-arc operational and communication discipline. Participants will learn how to craft an authentic recovery narrative, align leadership around consistent communication, and maintain momentum when scrutiny continues after the crisis has passed.
What you’ll learn:
- How to evaluate reputational impact and audience expectations.
- The essentials of a credible, action-based recovery narrative.
- Leadership communication strategies that reinforce trust.
- How to measure progress and maintain message consistency over time.
Larry Kamer
President
The Kamer Group, Inc.
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