The first 60 minutes of a crisis will define everything that comes after. And most leaders spend them doing exactly the wrong things.
I’ve taken that call hundreds of times. A leader on the other end — scared, nervous, trying to figure out what to do next. Different industries, different countries, different crises. And the mistakes are almost always the same four.
The first mistake: they call the lawyer before anyone else. Legal’s first instinct is to protect you in court. Say nothing. Admit nothing. That is solid advice for a deposition. You’re not in a deposition. You’re in the court of public opinion, and that court is already in session. Every minute you spend on a conference call with legal is a minute someone else is writing your story.
The second mistake: they wait for all the facts. This one sounds responsible. It feels like the smart move. The problem? The world doesn’t wait for your fact-finding mission. While you’re gathering information, your customers and the media are filling the vacuum with speculation. You don’t need all the facts to say something. You need three sentences: here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t, and here’s what we’re doing right now.
The third mistake: they talk about what happened instead of what they’re doing about it. The public doesn’t need a play-by-play of how you got here. They need to know you’re in control. Shift forward.
The fourth mistake: they underestimate how fast the story is moving. Leaders think in hours. The internet thinks in minutes. By the time you’ve scheduled a meeting to ‘align on messaging,’ the screenshots are already circulating.
The first 60 minutes are about one thing: showing up. With honesty. With urgency. With a plan that proves someone is in charge.