Learn to become the quietest part of the emergency.

LEADERSHIP

WHAT THIS MEANS

In a crisis there is usually plenty of noise and very little steadiness, and the person supplying the steadiness has an outsized effect. Being the quietest part of it does not mean withdrawing. It means being the one who speaks at a normal volume, asks a plain question, and gives everyone else something settled to organise around.

Next time things become chaotic, consciously lower your voice rather than raising it. Ask what the next step is. It sounds too small to matter and it changes the temperature of the room more than almost anything else.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Do you add calm or noise when something goes wrong?

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