When uncertainty looms and fear takes hold, a leader’s words can either anchor an organization or set it adrift. Crisis situations—whether they’re global pandemics, economic downturns, organizational restructuring, or public relations disasters—test leadership in unprecedented ways. What distinguishes great leaders from merely good ones is often their ability to communicate effectively when everything seems to be falling apart around them.
Words matter. In times of crisis, they matter even more. The phrases leaders choose, the tone they adopt, and the timing of their messages can make the difference between inspiring confidence and sowing panic. Great leaders understand that communication during a crisis isn’t just about information transmission—it’s about providing clarity, instilling hope, and charting a path forward when the way ahead seems obscured.
History has shown us that great leaders are often forged in the fires of crisis. From Churchill’s defiant speeches during World War II to corporate leaders who have guided their organizations through existential threats, crisis communication has defined leadership legacies. What they said—and how they said it—has become as important as the actions they took.
But what exactly do great leaders say during a crisis? What communication principles guide them? And how can today’s leaders apply these insights to navigate their own challenging circumstances? Let’s explore the words, phrases, and communication strategies that set exceptional leaders apart when crisis strikes.
The Foundational Principles of Crisis Communication
Before we examine specific phrases and statements, it’s essential to understand the core principles that underpin effective crisis communication. These principles serve as the foundation for every word a great leader utters during challenging times.
Transparency Above All
Great leaders recognize that transparency isn’t optional during a crisis—it’s mandatory. They understand that in the absence of clear information, people will fill the void with speculation, rumors, and fear. By committing to transparency, leaders build trust even when the news isn’t good.
Transparency doesn’t mean sharing every detail, especially when information is still developing. Rather, it means being honest about what is known, what isn’t known, and when more information will be available. It means acknowledging mistakes and taking responsibility when appropriate.
Empathy as the Cornerstone
Crisis situations affect people in profound and often personal ways. Effective leaders acknowledge the human impact of a crisis before addressing operational concerns. They recognize fears, validate emotions, and demonstrate genuine concern for the wellbeing of their team members, customers, and stakeholders.
According to research on crisis leadership, leaders who demonstrate empathy during difficult times build deeper connections with their teams and inspire greater loyalty and commitment. Empathetic communication isn’t just kind—it’s strategically sound.
Clarity and Simplicity
During a crisis, cognitive bandwidth is limited. People are processing emotional responses while trying to absorb information, making it difficult to process complex messages. Great leaders recognize this and prioritize clarity and simplicity in their communications.
This doesn’t mean oversimplifying complex situations, but rather distilling essential information into digestible formats. They avoid jargon, technical language, and excessive detail that might obscure the core message.
Consistency Across Channels
When a crisis hits, information flows through multiple channels—formal announcements, email updates, social media, team meetings, and one-on-one conversations. Great leaders ensure consistency across these channels, recognizing that contradictory messages create confusion and undermine trust.
This consistency extends beyond mere facts to include tone, level of optimism, and calls to action. Leaders coordinate closely with their communication teams to maintain a unified voice, even when the situation is rapidly evolving.
Eight Powerful Phrases Great Leaders Use During Crisis
When facing a crisis, the specific words leaders choose can make a tremendous difference in how their message is received. The most effective leaders rely on certain key phrases that acknowledge reality while instilling confidence. Here are eight powerful statements that great leaders incorporate into their crisis communications:
1. “Here’s what we know right now…”
This simple phrase accomplishes multiple goals simultaneously. It signals transparency by sharing current information, while implicitly acknowledging that the situation is still developing. It sets appropriate expectations about the completeness of information and prepares the audience for updates as new details emerge.
By starting with what is known, leaders establish a foundation of facts before moving to more uncertain elements of the situation. This creates a sense of stability even in chaotic circumstances.
2. “I understand this is difficult…”
Acknowledging the emotional impact of a crisis is essential before diving into solutions or action steps. This phrase demonstrates empathy and validates the legitimate concerns and feelings that crisis situations evoke.
Great leaders don’t minimize challenges or suggest that people shouldn’t feel anxious, frightened, or frustrated. Instead, they normalize these responses while creating space for constructive action despite these feelings.
3. “We will get through this together…”
During a crisis, people need reassurance that they aren’t facing challenges alone. This phrase reinforces community and shared purpose, reminding everyone that collective strength exceeds individual capacity.
The word “together” is particularly powerful, emphasizing solidarity and mutual support. It subtly shifts the narrative from “me against the crisis” to “us overcoming the crisis,” which is both psychologically comforting and practically true in most organizational settings.
4. “Here’s my commitment to you…”
In times of uncertainty, people look to leaders for commitments they can count on. By explicitly stating their promises, leaders create islands of certainty in seas of ambiguity.
These commitments might include communication cadence (“I will update you every 48 hours”), decision-making principles (“We won’t make any major changes without consulting the team”), or prioritization frameworks (“Employee safety will remain our top concern”).
5. “I don’t have all the answers, but here’s what we’re doing to find them…”
This phrase demonstrates both humility and action orientation. Great leaders don’t pretend to know everything—instead, they openly acknowledge the limits of their knowledge while describing the processes in place to learn more.
This approach builds credibility more effectively than false certainty. It also models the intellectual honesty needed throughout the organization during crisis response.
6. “This is what we’re prioritizing right now…”
During a crisis, clarity about priorities is essential. This phrase helps focus attention and resources on what matters most, preventing fragmentation of effort in multiple directions.
By explicitly naming priorities, leaders also implicitly acknowledge what isn’t a priority in the moment. This helps team members make better independent decisions aligned with the organization’s crisis response strategy.
7. “I need your help with…”
Great leaders know that effective crisis response requires active participation from the entire team. This phrase converts passive observers into engaged participants by providing specific ways people can contribute to solutions.
These requests might involve information gathering, supporting colleagues, maintaining operations, or implementing new procedures. By inviting participation, leaders distribute both the burden and the opportunity for impact across the organization.
8. “Here’s what we’ve learned so far…”
Crisis situations are intense learning environments. This phrase signals that the organization is adapting based on new information and experience, rather than rigidly adhering to initial assumptions.
By highlighting lessons learned, leaders create meaning from difficult experiences and demonstrate that the organization is becoming more resilient through the crisis, not merely surviving it.
Communication Across the Crisis Lifecycle
Crisis situations evolve through distinct phases, each requiring different communication approaches. Effective leaders adapt their messaging as the crisis unfolds, recognizing that what people need to hear changes as circumstances develop.
Early Crisis Communication: Acknowledge and Orient
In the initial stages of a crisis, uncertainty is typically at its peak. People are trying to understand what’s happening and what it means for them. At this stage, great leaders focus on:
- Acknowledging the situation without minimizing its severity
- Providing initial orientation to help people make sense of events
- Establishing communication channels and setting expectations for updates
- Addressing immediate safety or security concerns
Early crisis communication should be frequent but measured. Leaders avoid speculation while promising to share information as it becomes available. The goal is to create a sense of presence and attention rather than to provide comprehensive solutions.
Mid-Crisis Communication: Direct and Sustain
As the crisis continues, fatigue and frustration often set in. The initial surge of adrenaline fades, revealing the sustained effort required to address the situation. During this phase, leaders focus on:
- Providing clear direction on next steps and priorities
- Reinforcing organizational values as decision-making guides
- Celebrating small wins to maintain morale
- Addressing emerging challenges transparently
The cadence of communication often becomes more structured during this phase. Regular updates at predictable intervals help create a sense of stability, even as the situation continues to evolve.
Late Crisis Communication: Integrate and Learn
As the acute phase of the crisis begins to subside, leaders shift their communication toward integration and learning. This includes:
- Helping people make meaning of what has happened
- Acknowledging losses and challenges while highlighting strengths revealed
- Articulating lessons learned and changes to be implemented
- Painting a picture of the path forward
This phase of communication helps transition the organization from crisis response to recovery and renewal. It acknowledges that things may not return to exactly how they were before, while creating confidence in the organization’s ability to thrive in new circumstances.
Case Studies: Leadership Communication in Action
While principles and phrases provide a framework, examining how leaders have actually communicated during real crises offers powerful insights. These case studies highlight how real leaders are forged in crisis and demonstrate effective communication in action.
Jacinda Ardern: Transparency and Empathy During the Christchurch Attack
When a terrorist attack struck mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s response became a masterclass in crisis leadership communication. Her immediate statement “They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not” both acknowledged the tragedy and reinforced national unity.
Ardern combined uncompromising transparency about the situation with profound empathy for the victims and affected communities. She wore a hijab when meeting with Muslim community members, demonstrating respect and solidarity. Her communication consistently emphasized both the practical response to the crisis and its human dimension.
Ed Bastian: Clear Communication During Delta’s Pandemic Response
When COVID-19 devastated the airline industry, Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s communication with employees and customers stood out for its clarity, consistency, and compassion. His regular video updates acknowledged the severity of the situation while outlining specific steps the company was taking.
Bastian balanced difficult messages about financial realities with unwavering commitment to employee safety and customer care. His straightforward articulation of the challenges facing the company, coupled with explicit priorities and values-based decisions, helped maintain trust during unprecedented uncertainty.
Mary Barra: Accountability During GM’s Ignition Switch Crisis
When General Motors faced a serious safety crisis related to faulty ignition switches, CEO Mary Barra’s communication emphasized accountability and transformation. Rather than minimizing the situation or deflecting blame, she directly stated: “I never want to put this behind us. I want to put this painful experience permanently in our collective memories.”
This approach acknowledged the serious failures that had occurred while committing to fundamental change. By refusing to move quickly past the crisis, Barra demonstrated the seriousness with which she viewed both the failures and the company’s responsibility to improve.
Common Communication Mistakes During Crisis
Understanding what not to say during a crisis is just as important as knowing what to say. Great leaders avoid these common communication pitfalls:
Premature Reassurance
When leaders rush to say “Everything will be fine” before fully understanding a situation, they undermine their credibility and miss an opportunity to demonstrate appropriate concern. False reassurance often backfires when reality contradicts optimistic pronouncements.
Instead of premature reassurance, great leaders offer realistic assessments coupled with confidence in the organization’s ability to respond effectively. They distinguish between what is known with certainty and what remains uncertain.
Defensive or Blame-Shifting Language
Crisis situations naturally prompt questions about responsibility and cause. Poor leaders respond defensively or attempt to shift blame to others—whether external parties, previous leadership, or subordinates.
Great leaders focus on solutions rather than blame, while taking appropriate responsibility when the organization has fallen short. They understand that defensiveness signals insecurity and undermines trust precisely when it’s most needed.
Information Overload
In an attempt to be thorough, some leaders overwhelm their audiences with excessive detail, technical information, or multiple scenarios. This approach often creates confusion rather than clarity, as people struggle to identify what matters most.
Effective crisis communicators prioritize information, focusing on what people need to know right now. They layer information appropriately, providing top-line messages for everyone while making additional detail available to those who need it.
Inconsistency Across Time or Channels
When messages change without explanation or differ across communication channels, people lose confidence in leadership. Inconsistency suggests either that leaders don’t have a clear understanding of the situation or that they’re not coordinating their response effectively.
Great leaders maintain message discipline while acknowledging when new information requires a change in direction. They coordinate closely across communication channels to ensure that the same core messages reach all stakeholders.
Developing Your Crisis Communication Skills
Crisis communication isn’t an innate talent—it’s a skill that can be developed through intentional practice and preparation. Here are strategies for strengthening your ability to communicate effectively when it matters most:
Prepare Before Crisis Strikes
The best crisis communication begins long before a crisis occurs. Leaders who communicate effectively during difficult times have typically invested in:
- Building trust through consistent, honest communication during normal operations
- Developing crisis communication plans that outline roles, channels, and approval processes
- Creating message templates for different types of crisis scenarios
- Practicing crisis communication through simulations and role-plays
This preparation creates mental and organizational frameworks that make real-time crisis communication more efficient and effective.
Focus on Communication Fundamentals
Crisis situations amplify the importance of communication basics. Leaders should pay particular attention to:
- Active listening to understand stakeholder concerns
- Non-verbal communication, including facial expressions, posture, and tone
- Message clarity through simple language and logical structure
- Timeliness of updates and responses
These fundamentals create the foundation for effective crisis communication, ensuring that messages are both received and understood as intended.
Seek Feedback and Adapt
Even the most prepared leaders must adjust their communication approach as a crisis unfolds. Effective adaptation requires:
- Monitoring how messages are being received and interpreted
- Actively seeking feedback from diverse stakeholders
- Addressing misunderstandings or concerns promptly
- Refining messages based on what’s working and what isn’t
This feedback loop helps leaders remain responsive to changing needs and perceptions throughout the crisis lifecycle.
Draw Inspiration from Great Communicators
Studying effective crisis communicators provides valuable models to emulate. Leaders can develop their own style by:
- Analyzing speeches and statements from admired crisis leaders
- Identifying phrases and approaches that resonate personally
- Collecting inspirational quotes that capture key crisis leadership principles
- Adapting observed techniques to fit their own authentic voice
This inspiration helps leaders develop a personal crisis communication approach that feels authentic while incorporating proven effective elements.
The Lasting Impact of Crisis Communication
How leaders communicate during a crisis doesn’t just affect short-term outcomes—it shapes organizational culture, stakeholder relationships, and leadership legacy for years to come. Great leaders understand that their words during difficult times will be remembered long after the crisis has passed.
Crisis communication that embodies transparency, empathy, clarity, and consistency builds trust that extends well beyond the immediate situation. It demonstrates character and competence in the most challenging circumstances, creating a reservoir of goodwill that supports future initiatives.
Perhaps most importantly, leaders’ crisis communication sets the tone for how the entire organization responds to adversity. When leaders model thoughtful, honest, and compassionate communication, they establish norms that guide others’ behaviors and create a more resilient organizational culture.
Conclusion
In times of crisis, words build bridges—between uncertainty and clarity, between fear and resolve, between isolation and community. What great leaders say during these pivotal moments does more than convey information; it creates the narrative framework through which people understand and respond to challenging circumstances.
The most effective crisis communication combines unflinching honesty about current realities with unwavering confidence in collective capabilities. It acknowledges the gravity of the situation while illuminating the path forward. It validates emotional responses while activating constructive action.
By embracing the principles and practices outlined in this article, leaders can develop the communication skills needed to guide their organizations through their darkest hours. They can draw inspiration from the wisdom of business leaders who have successfully navigated crises before them, adapting these insights to their own unique challenges.
When crisis inevitably strikes, the words they choose will make all the difference—not just in weathering the immediate storm, but in emerging stronger on the other side.
