Lead Through the Fire: 3 Core Principles for Crisis Leadership

With another forest fire season upon us here in Alberta, I’m reminded of the immense pressures and challenges that come with managing large-scale, complex crises.  

My career has taken me from the frontlines of military operations to the heart of global humanitarian responses, including coordinating disaster relief for major wildfires and floods right here in Canada.  

In these moments, leadership is tested in its most extreme forms.  Through it all, I’ve learned some hard-earned lessons about what it truly means to lead—lessons that feel particularly resonant now and offer, I believe, some timeless wisdom for leaders in any field facing uncertainty.

Read about leaders & the Beast – the 2016 Ft McMurray Wildfires

1. See the Whole Board: The Imperative of Holistic Understanding

One of the most critical lessons I’ve learned is that as a leader, you must thoroughly understand the entire operational ecosystem, not just your immediate area of command.  This was emphasized during my military career.  You cannot become a commander or a leader in the military without having done some of the other jobs first.  You need to work in the supply chain, the administrative side, and the transportation side. You don’t get to be the boss without first learning how the toilet paper gets to the front lines.

This principle involves being exposed to and becoming moderately competent in various functions.  It is essential for making truly informed decisions, especially when people’s well-being or even their lives are at stake.  Real strategic oversight does not involve sitting in an ivory tower; it stems from appreciating the complexities and interdependencies of every single part of an organization. It is about ensuring that your decisions are grounded in operational reality.

2. Lead with Humanity: The Person at the End of Every Process

Amid the immense logistical challenges of any large-scale operation, particularly in disaster response, I’ve always emphasized the paramount importance of the human element.  At the end of every logistics problem, there is a real person affected by a terrible circumstance and keeping them in mind is essential.

These are often profoundly intimate human experiences, and sometimes they represent the worst kind of human experience imaginable.  The question for us as leaders must always be, “How do we respect people in a way that honours that and helps them recover in their own way?” This serves as a potent reminder for any leader in any sector: our processes, systems, and strategic objectives must ultimately serve people.  Effective leadership means never losing sight of the individuals affected by your decisions and ensuring their dignity and well-being remain at the absolute centre of your focus.

Read about Human Scale Leadership

3. Communicate with Candour and Compassion

In times of crisis and uncertainty, how we communicate can be just as critical as the actions we take.  I’ve witnessed the pitfalls of communication that prioritizes organizational risk management over genuine human connection. People understandably become frustrated when leaders allow lawyers to hinder genuine human interaction.

I’ve always advocated for transparency and empathy.  If you’re honest and forthright with people, they may not always appreciate the response, but at least they understand where they stand. They can hear, “Okay.  Thank you.  Now I know I have to figure out my own path here.” People desire someone to communicate with them in a compassionate manner. This demonstrates that even challenging news is better accepted when it’s delivered truthfully and with a genuine understanding of the other person’s situation.  Trust isn’t built on sugar-coating reality; it’s built on straightforward, empathetic engagement.

My journey through some of the world’s most challenging events has taught me that enduring leadership isn’t about having infallible strategies or maintaining iron-fisted control. 

Instead, it’s forged in a deep understanding of the entire system, an unwavering focus on the human beings at its core, and a steadfast commitment to communicating with honesty and compassion, especially when the stakes are highest.