No one wants to have a crisis on their hands. These intense moments are things to avoid and work to prevent, right?

The bitter truth is that a crisis doesn’t come out of nowhere. It can take weeks, or often months or years, to build up to a crisis. Months of thinking “we hit our sales plan” or “traffic is at an all time high”. Perhaps years of hitting the auto-pilot button, or ignoring the signs of the landscape shifting.

When the crisis comes those accountable will be surprised and shocked – on the outside. Often on the inside is an acknowledgement that somehow (usually through inaction) this has been gaining speed for a long time.

Don’t accept or use an excuse when a crisis hits – accept the appropriate amount of responsibility and get to work preventing the next one.