The Leading in a Crisis Podcast
Education Podcasts
Interviews, stories and lessons learned from experienced crisis leaders.
Being an effective leader in a corporate or public crisis situation requires knowledge, tenacity, and influencing skills. Unfortunately, most of us don't get much training or real experience dealing with crisis situations. On this podcast, we will talk with people who have lived through major crisis events and we will tap their experience and stories from the front lines of crisis management.
Your host, Tom Mueller, is a veteran crisis manager and trainer with more than 30 years in the corporate communications and crisis fields. Tom currently works as an executive coach and crisis trainer with WPNT Communications, and as a contract public information officer and trainer through his personal company, Tom Mueller Communications LLC.
Your co-host, Marc Mullen, has over 20 years of experience as a communication strategist. He provides subject matter expertise in a number of communication specializations, including crisis communication plan development, response and recovery communications, emergency notifications and communications, organizational reviews, and after-action reports. He blogs at Blog | Marc Mullen
Our goal is to help you grow your knowledge and awareness so you can be better prepared to lead should a major crisis threaten your organization.
Music credit: Special thanks to Nick Longoria from Austin, Texas for creating the theme music for the podcast.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Education Podcasts
Description:
Interviews, stories and lessons learned from experienced crisis leaders. Being an effective leader in a corporate or public crisis situation requires knowledge, tenacity, and influencing skills. Unfortunately, most of us don't get much training or real experience dealing with crisis situations. On this podcast, we will talk with people who have lived through major crisis events and we will tap their experience and stories from the front lines of crisis management. Your host, Tom Mueller, is a veteran crisis manager and trainer with more than 30 years in the corporate communications and crisis fields. Tom currently works as an executive coach and crisis trainer with WPNT Communications, and as a contract public information officer and trainer through his personal company, Tom Mueller Communications LLC. Your co-host, Marc Mullen, has over 20 years of experience as a communication strategist. He provides subject matter expertise in a number of communication specializations, including crisis communication plan development, response and recovery communications, emergency notifications and communications, organizational reviews, and after-action reports. He blogs at Blog | Marc Mullen Our goal is to help you grow your knowledge and awareness so you can be better prepared to lead should a major crisis threaten your organization. Music credit: Special thanks to Nick Longoria from Austin, Texas for creating the theme music for the podcast.
Language:
English
Website:
https://www.leadinginacrisis.com
Episodes
EP 35 Leading in a crisis - lessons and advice from a first time PIO and Deputy (Part 2)
5/19/2024
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On this episode, we continue our conversation with Will Fitzgerald and Celina Cardenas from Occidental Petroleum recounting their first time serving in leadership roles for a major crisis exercise.
Ever wondered how leaders maintain composure and maneuver through the chaos of a crisis? That's exactly what we uncover with Will and Celina as they recount their experiences at the helm during a high-intensity crisis simulation. Will pulls back the curtain on the role of a Public Information Officer in a unified command, where rapid-fire decisions and clear communication are paramount. Celina gives us a front-row seat to the demands of managing a Joint Information Center, from handling a barrage of media queries to realigning team roles on the fly for maximum efficiency. This episode is nothing short of a masterclass in leadership under fire.
Duration:00:20:16
EP 34 Inside Occidental Petroleum's Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Drill with Will Fitzgerald and Celina Cardenas
5/19/2024
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On this episode, two first time leaders in a major oil spill response drill share their experiences, thoughts, and insights into leading during a major crisis. Occidental Petroleum tapped Will Fitzgerald and Celina Cardenas to serve as public information officer and deputy PIO for a recent drill, giving them their first taste of leading the team in a crisis. They recount for us their pulse-quickening experience in a Gulf of Mexico oil spill drill. Step into their shoes as they grapple with a game of high-stakes information chess where every move could sway public perception. Will and Celina peel back the curtain on the relentless pace of media relations, the crafting of crucial first impressions, and the dance of disseminating information under the watchful gaze of an ever-evolving media landscape.
Venture behind the scenes with us to unravel the meticulous orchestration of a Joint Information Center during an emergency, where the pressure can be intense and deadlines short. Celina takes us through the strategic play of aligning her team to navigate the complexities of this crisis response—showing us that adaptability is the name of the game.
Duration:00:21:50
EP 33 John Breed on counseling CEOs and leading in a crisis
5/12/2024
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Unlock the secrets of crisis leadership with the wisdom of corporate communication maestro, John Breed, manager of community and external affairs at ChampionX. We think John wins the award for working with most CEOs in a career, and he shares some of his tips for managing those relationships, particularly in a crisis. Our conversation traverses the essential traits that make or break leaders during turbulent times, with a particular focus on authentic empathy and comprehensive industry knowledge. John's storied career, working shoulder to shoulder with top CEOs, lends credibility to his insights.
Venture into the high-pressure environment of offshore drilling where communication is as vital as any safety equipment. Through a detailed analysis of a real-life rig fire, John walks us through the sometimes complex web of communications and information sharing among contractors, employees, and customers. This episode is rich with stories from the front lines, offering listeners a rare behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous orchestration of crisis drills and communication plans.
Reach Tom Mueller at tom@leadinginacrisis.com
Reach Marc Mullen at marcmullenccc@gmail.com.
Duration:00:27:05
EP 32 Mastering Crisis Leadership with Incident Commander Dan Smiley
5/5/2024
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Emergency situations don't come with a playbook, but when they strike, it's leaders like incident commander Dan Smiley who orchestrate the chaos into coherence. In our latest episode, Dan reveals the behind-the-scenes drama when multiple agencies, such as the EPA and Coast Guard, must unite under the banner of Unified Command. He gives a gripping account of a vessel grounding off the coast of California, unraveling the complexities of authority, collaboration, and the decision-making that pivots on the signing of the Incident Action Plan. As we dissect these challenges, Dan shines a light on the stark contrasts between rehearsed exercises and the unpredictable nature of real crises, where every decision carries weight.
Navigating through the fiery aftermath of the Genius Star 11 ship incident, our conversation with Dan evolves into an intricate look at adaptability in leadership roles. We examine how the response can swell or contract as necessary, transitioning from public information efforts to liaison-focused strategies.
Duration:00:25:05
EP 31 Incorporating Artificial Intelligence into a crisis response, with Dan Smiley
4/28/2024
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Prepare to navigate the stormy seas of crisis management as we welcome the unparalleled expertise of Dan Smiley, whose storied career has taken him from the decks of the Coast Guard to the forefront of oil spill response. Now, as a consultant and podcast voice on crisis leadership, Dan steps aboard our show to chart the integration of AI into the realm of incident command. With anecdotes from the field and an insider's perspective, he brings to life the transformative impact of AI tools like ChatGPT in sculpting dynamic response strategies and propelling software innovation in crisis scenarios.
The conversation then shifts to a more turbulent current – the murky waters of AI-generated graphics and the scourge of misinformation. Battling through the challenges of crafting our podcast logo with AI, we expose the ironic complexities of technology that's simultaneously advancing and leading astray. Witness how deceptively realistic visuals, such as those of a fabricated ship fire, can undermine trust during real-life emergencies. Dan and I explore the indispensable role of Public Information Officers in this new age, armed with the latest rhetorical armor to combat an onslaught of AI-spun fallacies that threaten the integrity of truth in our digitally dominated world.
Reach Tom Mueller at tom@leadinginacrisis.com
Reach Marc Mullen at marcmullenccc@gmail.com
Reach Dan Smiley via LinkedIn.
Duration:00:20:06
EP 30 Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Review of the Communications Response
4/14/2024
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On this episode, Tom and Marc review the communications coming out from the various parties involved in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
This is a complex response involving numerous federal, state, and local agencies, with communications coming from several different groups. Tom and Marc parse through the communications and offer insights for crisis communicators monitoring this large scale response that has more than 20 persons staffing the joint information center. We have also seen communications from the US Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Maryland, local entities, and the ship management company. How does it all blend together in this high-profile incident response? Which crisis website technology platform is being used to run the online communications? Tom and Marc offer their observations and insights.
For more information about the podcast, reach out to Tom and Marc:
tom@leadinginacrisis.com
marcmullenccc@gmail.cocm
Duration:00:26:05
EP29 Silly season in America: protecting your brand during the presidential election
4/7/2024
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Steer clear of the political quagmire and keep your brand afloat during election season! Join host Tom Mueller and guest Kathy Leach from Brand Insights as we traverse the complex terrain of brand risk management amidst the uproar of political campaigns. Discover essential strategies for maintaining your company's integrity without becoming collateral damage in political warfare. We're getting down to brass tacks on staying informed and strategic with your brand's messaging, the art of monitoring social chatter, and the finesse of working with legal and PR mavens to sidestep potential pitfalls.
The conversation doesn't end there; we're tackling the tightrope walk of brand communication when the winds of controversy blow. Learn how to articulate principled stands on hot-button issues, anticipate the public reaction, and construct responses that strike a chord with your audience. Kathy and I lay out the blueprint for an effective crisis team and the creation of a 'war room' to manage crises with precision and speed.
You can reach Kathy Leech via email at: Kathy@brand-insights.net
Reach Tom Mueller at: tom@leadingingacrisis.com
Duration:00:17:24
EP 28 Risk Communication vs. crisis communication - say what? With Ann Hayward Walker
3/31/2024
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Join us for an engaging conversation around risk communication - not the same as crisis communication - with Ann Hayward Walker, a seasoned scientific advisor who has worked major incidents including Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez. Ann has spent many years exploring how people process perceived risk and how an incident management team can effectively communicate around risk issues. How does she recommend managing the difficult issue of risk communication? Hint: It isn't through the PIO or Liaison teams. Emotion plays a part in connecting with a community that has suffered a major incident, yet it can get in the way of information flow. Ann also tells us why she prefers information to facts in an emergency response context. There's a lot to unpack here. Please join us!
Duration:00:25:18
EP 27 Forging Unshakeable Trust: The Role of Community Advisory Panels in Crisis Management with Marysue Knowles
3/24/2024
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Unlock the secrets to building unshakeable trust between companies and communities with our expert guest, Mary Sue Knowles. With over two decades of expertise, Mary Sue unravels the significance of community advisory panels (CAPs) for effective crisis management and the cultivation of long-term relationships. This episode is a goldmine for anyone looking to understand the sheer power of open dialogue and genuine engagement in forging community partnerships that withstand the test of time and turbulence.
Join us as we navigate the intricate process of forming CAPs, selecting the right members, and establishing a dialogue that outlasts the immediacy of regulatory approvals. Mary Sue walks us through the stark differences between a community with a CAP in place and one caught unprepared in the face of crises, with vivid examples drawn from recent headlines. By the end of our conversation, you'll grasp why CAPs aren't just good practice—they're the proactive bridge that connects industry to community, ensuring that even in the midst of storms, communication remains clear and conflicts are skillfully mitigated.
For more information about CAPs, contact Marysue Knowles at: mknowles@knowlescommstrategies.com
To share feedback or submit a guest recommendation, contact Tom Mueller via email at tom@leadinginacrisis.com.
To reach Marc Mullen for help with your crisis communications plan development or review, email him at mmullenccc@gmail.com.
Duration:00:23:24
EP 26 Driving engagement (and adrenaline) using live social media simulations for crisis training, with Geoff Paddock
3/10/2024
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On this episode, we discuss the value of using live, interactive social media simulation for a realistic experience during crisis training exercises. We're joined by Geoff Paddock, a journalist-turned-communications expert based in the UK, who brings a wealth of experience in the nuclear and chemical sectors. With Geoff we dissect how digital crisis simulations provide an unparalleled level of realism and urgency that paper-based methods can't match. Our discussion takes you behind the scenes of tailoring high-stakes simulations to an organization's specific nightmare scenarios, helping teams plan their communication strategies in a safe training environment.
We discuss the STORM simulation platform, which Geoff pioneered and operates for crisis training exercises with clients around the world.
For more information on the STORM platform and crisis simulations, you can reach Geoff Paddock via email at: geoff@gpmedia.co.uk.
Other contacts for podcast information:
Tom Mueller - tom@leadinginacrisis.com
Marc Mullen - marcmullenccc@gmail.com
Duration:00:28:00
EP 25 Crisis response for nonprofits - Part 2 with Randy Sumner
3/1/2024
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Crisis strikes without warning, and the mettle of non-profits is tested in the heat of the moment. This is part 2 of our sit down with Randy Sumner, the seasoned crisis management expert with a wealth of experience from his days as a television news journalist to his current role as an executive coach and crisis trainer at WPNT Communications. We dissect the critical strategies that non-profits and NGOs must employ to weather the storm, using the harrowing Lakewood Church shooting as our touchstone. Randy's insights into the necessity of a robust operational response, regardless of the size of your organization, are not just enlightening—they're essential listening for anyone at the helm of a non-profit.
To contact us here at the podcast, please reach out to:
Tom Mueller - tom@leadinginacrisis.com
Marc Mullen - Marcmullenccc@gmail.com
Randy Sumner - rsumner@wpnt.com
Duration:00:24:06
EP 24 Crisis response for nonprofits - when trust is on the line, with Randy Sumner
3/1/2024
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Discover the crucial elements of crisis management for nonprofits as Randy Sumner of WPNT Communications joins us to unravel the complexities these organizations encounter during turbulent times. Our enlightening discussion ventures into the necessity of meticulous preparation and the adoption of transparent practices to safeguard public trust and ensure financial vitality. Randy, drawing from a wealth of expertise in media and crisis training, warns against the peril of over-reliance on the inherent virtue of a nonprofit's mission when facing scrutiny. Listen to how the interplay between timely response and sustained public confidence can drastically shape an organization's future.
Use the following addresses to contact Tom, Marc, or our guest today Randy Sumner.
Tom Mueller - Tom@leadinginacrrisis.com
Marc Mullen - Marcmullenccc@gmail.com
Randy Sumner - rsumner@wpnt.com
Duration:00:23:48
EP 23 Reviewing crisis communications around Alaska Airlines in-flight emergency Part 2
2/4/2024
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Join the conversation with Tom Mueller and Mark Mullen as we dissect the high-stakes world of crisis management, offering a rare glimpse into Boeing's strategic playbook during the Alaska Airlines incident. Through the lens of crisis communication experts, we unravel the complexities of swift, competing responses amidst public scrutiny and the 'fog of war' that often clouds crisis situations.
Our latest podcast episode takes you behind the scenes of Boeing's handling of the Alaska Airlines incident. We debate the timeliness and appropriateness of their response to this near-catastrophic incident. We critically analyze their decision to implement a safety stand down and the CEO's strategy of engaging with the crisis head-on. And we also discuss the tactic of leaking internal meeting content to key reporters in order to gain positive media coverage.
We also discuss Southwest Airlines' approach to crisis communication following an in-flight incident and fatality two years ago. Join us as we dissect these case studies and offer invaluable insights into the complex world of crisis communication in the aviation industry.
Duration:00:19:46
EP 22 Case study: Alaska Airlines and Boeing response to the door plug incident
2/3/2024
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This week Marc and Tom review a case study Tom prepared around the recent Alaska Airlines in-flight emergency involving a suddenly missing door plug on the aircraft.
Tom pulled together a case study around early phase crisis communications and he and Marc review and discuss how the three companies involved communicated to their stakeholders and customers in the first hours and days following the incident. Those companies include Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and Spirit Aero Systems, manufacturer of the fuselage on that Boeing 737 aircraft.
It's a spirited discuss during which Tom and Marc disagree on how some communications were handled in that early phase.
Duration:00:18:34
EP 21 Ambassador Lewis Lucke Part 2: The Challenges of International Disaster Management
12/10/2023
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We continue our conversation with retired US Ambassador Lewis Lucke around his experiences managing huge crisis responses in Iraq and Haiti.
Find the ambassador's entertaining memoir of his career as a foreign service officer, Duck And Cover, Improbable Tales from a Career in Foreign Service, on Amazon here.
Duration:00:15:53
EP 20 Behind the Scenes of International Disaster Response with US Ambassador Lewis Lucke
12/10/2023
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We're privileged to have an engaging conversation with retired US Ambassador Lewis Lucke. Now, he's not just any ambassador. This man is a seasoned crisis leader who has been at the helm of some of the most challenging situations around the world. From the reconstruction of Iraq to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Ambassador Lucke was right there, making decisions that impacted and saved countless lives. His tales are riveting, his insights profound, and his wisdom invaluable.
His tales of international intrigue over the course of his career are captured in his book, From Timbuktu to Duck And Cover, Improbable Tales from a Career in Foreign Service, found on Amazon here.
Duration:00:24:40
EP18 Supply chain disruptions: leadership insights from XOM alum Jeff Zudock
11/20/2023
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On today's episode we talk about managing a crisis in the form of a unique supply chain disruption and the leadership skills required to deliver fast and effective solutions. Our guest is Jeff Zudock, a 35-year veteran of ExxonMobil and an expert in commercial and supply chain management.
The stakes are high when raw materials go in short supply, and quick action is needed to avert losses that can quickly reach millions of dollars per day if manufacturing facilities are idled owing to a kink in the supply chain.
You'll hear Jeff discuss leadership principles that help guide him when leading a crisis team, and he also offers insight into best practices to avoid supply chain disruptions.
Duration:00:32:14
EP19 Supply chain disruption during Covid - a case study with XOM alum Jeff Zudock
11/20/2023
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Are you prepared to navigate a supply chain crisis? Will you crack under the pressure, or will you lead like a seasoned captain navigating through a storm? Join us as we share the mic with Jeff Zudock, a supply chain maestro with three decades of experience under his belt at ExxonMobil, now retired.
Jeff gives us a riveting account of managing a supply chain crisis when COVID-induced disruptions threatened a vital raw material's supply. The stakes were high, with potential financial losses scaling millions. But with shrewd communication and the audacity to seek alternative solutions, his team weathered the storm. Let Jeff's story inspire you and arm you with invaluable lessons about supply chain management and crisis leadership.
Duration:00:19:53
EP17 Leading a retail giant through the pandemic crisis, with Polly Flinn
10/31/2023
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Imagine steering a colossal retail business, like the family-owned Giant Eagle, through the stormy seas of a global pandemic. Our guest, the remarkable Polly Flinn, takes us on that voyage. With her at the helm, they navigated treacherous waters by staying in tune with their customers, using real-time data from weekly polls. That data helped the team adjust their store and pharmacy tactics to provide leading edge services to their customers in a rapidly changing environment.
And for a time, it appeared that Polly was part the TV show "Undercover Boss" as she worked alongside employees to keep stores open and customers happy. But this was reality, not a reality show.
Polly Flinn now provides retail consultancy services through her aptly named firm, Flinnstone Strategies. Find them at flinnstonestrategies.com
Duration:00:20:47
EP16 Business in crisis: when an acquisition goes awry, with Polly Flinn
10/31/2023
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When a company buys another firm, the expectation is for profits and revenues to increase. But what if the opposite occurs? This is what happened after energy giant bp acquired Castrol, the global leader in premium lubricants products. This is a story of a business crisis and how a new management team turned it around.
Our guest, Polly Flinn is a highly experienced chief marketing officer who has done stints at bp, Walmart, Arco ampm, Giant Eagle, and Castrol. She shares the story of this business in crisis and steps us through the challenges she faced working to stem the decline and keep prized customers from abandoning the brand.
Polly currently runs her own retail consulting company, Flinnstone Strategies. Find more at Flinnstonestrategies.com.
If you have a recommendation for a topic or guest on the podcast, email tom@leadinginacrisis.com.
Duration:00:29:56