In this period of continuous and overlapping crises — geopolitics, supply chain uncertainty, systems failures, social unrest — many issues management teams and their agency partners have struggled to keep up with scenario planning for so many risks and variables.
Protocols and preapproved messages may be prerequisites for a resilient reputation, but some moments of high-stakes uncertainty present an opportunity for leaders to show up in a different way — more authentic, relatable and ultimately credible.
We. Communications’ 2025 Brands in Motion report finds that stakeholders dislike business clichés and faceless announcements. Especially in difficult moments, they want clear, sincere language. They prefer open and honest dialogue with a leader rather than talking points from an unaccountable corporate spokesperson.
Of course, today’s CEOs don’t have time to respond to every stakeholder on every issue. When deciding when to follow the playbook and when to invest the time for deeper connection and bigger impact, these proven principles may be helpful.
1. Orient toward impact
A stakeholder map is more than a phone tree — it should be a tool for putting empathy into practice.
In a crisis, some stakeholders will feel the impacts before others. Sometimes this is obvious: In a layoff, terminated employees are the most directly impacted; in a data breach, individuals with exfiltrated personally identifiable information are most directly impacted. Other cases are more complex, but impact still moves in concentric circles. Tariffs or export controls could hit customers before impacting investors. New regulations could impact procurement teams and vendors. A natural disaster could impact employees in a single location before ripples reach customers in the rest of the world.
Consider the impacts of geopolitical conflict on a company with a global workforce or cross-border supply chains. Stakeholders don’t want to hear that a brand is “monitoring the situation” (a standard reactive message found in countless scenarios plans). They want to know what you’re doing — and each one will have different needs. Have you updated local leads with contingency plans and evacuation protocols? Employees on the ground should hear that. Have you identified alternate suppliers? Customers want to know. Have you scenario-planned the need to exit the market entirely? Consider proactively briefing the board.
Does the media need to know about any of this? Probably not.
Orienting toward impact allows you to be specific, targeted and timely. That builds trust and lowers the temperature. It may also help keep the issue contained.
2. Don’t let the loudest voices set the strategy
One challenge with working in impact-based concentric circles is that the voices at the centre may not be the loudest. When it comes to contentious social issues, heated debate and outside interests can obscure real stakeholders’ expectations.
In the U.S., many companies have made precisely calibrated changes to employment and procurement policies to comply with changing law. These companies have faced relatively little backlash for these changes, especially when leaders focused communications on the only stakeholders directly impacted: employees (and, in some cases, vendors). However, other brands have faced pressure from activist minority shareholders, online influencers and mobilised consumers. Responses that focused on the loudest voices, instead of the most impacted stakeholders, failed to earn trust and protect reputation — and in some cases may have turned a manageable issue into a full-blown crisis.
3. Embrace the power of ‘I don’t know’
It may sound counterintuitive, but overpreparation can be the enemy of effective crisis management. By the time you’re sure you have an answer to every question, stakeholders may have moved on — carrying the conclusions they drew from your silence.
Whether addressing a social issue before an audience at Davos, a falling stock price on CNBC, or a group of employees at the site of a dangerous accident, leaders can signal strength and honesty by admitting they don’t have all the answers.
Leaders, more than corporate spokespeople, can shine in moments of uncertainty. We. Communications found that 60% of people want sensitive and complex news delivered by a human being, not a corporate logo. They want those leaders to acknowledge how difficult news makes them feel. A human can show empathy; a brand cannot.
In the first hours of a crisis, a leader may not be able to answer every question, but stakeholders don’t expect them to. Instead, they expect a leader to step forward and speak candidly about the difficult news and its impact — a human being willing to say what they know, what they don’t know and what they’re doing.
So sure, keep monitoring the situation. But monitor it for impact. Let your stakeholders know what you’re doing and what you’re seeing. Let your stakeholders know that you see them. And let a real person say it.
Aidan Ryan leads We. Communications’ issues and crisis management function across North America, working with other leaders within the Corporate Reputation and Brand Purpose team and other parts of the company to advise businesses, foundations, nonprofits and other clients to protect reputation, build resilience and navigate mission-critical challenges.
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