Nov 23, 2022
Addressing people in critical moments
The case of Gianni Infantino’s failure and how you can act better
Crises will happen in any organisation.
In these situations, officials become the focus of attention. Leaders have to speak out publicly. Critical questions, decisive moments, and statements that have significant implications can quickly be made with a long-lasting public effect. While some people handle this well, it has been shown, especially in the recent past, that a misjudgement of the situation led to considerable damage for countless companies and organisations.
How can you best prepare yourself here?
Which requirements do you have to meet with your statements?
Crisis
Some case studies are particularly prominent in the current period. Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, a company that at times was valued at billions of dollars and claimed to be able to detect severe illnesses with just a few drops of blood, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for fraud. After the sentence, she apologised and said she regretted her actions “with every cell of my body”, as she recently stated when apologising for her actions.
It is a different story for Elon Musk, who is now constantly facing negative headlines. After a poll of users, he unblocked Donald Trump’s profile. The poll ended with 52% to 48% in favour of unblocking. With the tweet, Vox Populi, Vox Die (translated: the voice of the people is the voice of God), Musk plays on a mixture of religious abstruseness and pseudo-democratic nonsense. Ochlocracy is the name of the approach Musk shows. Trump mainly speaks down on minorities. That the majority has fewer problems with this behaviour is hardly surprising. Despite countless cases of leadership misconduct, no word of remorse or apology is to be heard from Musk.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino acted even worse. He countered criticism of the World Cup in Qatar with accusations of double standards in the face of history. He sees himself as a representative of football. In an unprecedented gaffe, he said, “Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel [like] a migrant worker”. Infantino’s irritating aberrations generate considerable disgust (more about this can be heard in this week’s podcast; links are at the bottom of the article).
We see an increased number of leaders in a frenzy of hubris. Employees rightly refuse to follow them and show no identification with the organisations these people lead.
Statements
In today’s world, your statements must be clear, precise and to the point. Any shortcoming is immediately taken advantage of in public and internal discussions.
How to do it better? Start with a clear definition of the problem. Only if it is clear what you are talking about and which circumstances you are referencing is it possible to assess whether you have done justice to the claim in the matter. In addition, this will help you to avoid side issues in the discussion becoming unnecessary trouble spots. Afterwards, a clear statement is required concerning those involved, the course of the matter, any exceptions, and the activities carried out in the context. Any victim-offender compensation you may have already undertaken should be presented accordingly. When announcing further steps, it is important to describe them clearly and to include responsibilities and a clear time frame. The description of the further communication process also shows that you want to take accountability and that you are available for any open points, wishes, additions or the like.
A clear apology must be made for any misconduct.
In general, the presumption of innocence applies to everyone involved. However, the obligation to serve a possible public interest must also be fulfilled. This aspect only applies if you are a person or institution of public life or have high public relevance and influence.
Relevant, neutral, recognised institutions must also determine guilt or innocence. If Infantino refers to in-house committee acquittals, then a correspondingly negative external effect is to be expected.
Sincerity
When you apologise, sincerity and acknowledgement of the mistake are essential. Statements such as “I’m sorry if anyone took offence” say only one thing: you see no wrongdoing on your part. If such statements are made together with a lack of consequences, you will damage yourself and the organisation. As a leader, it is your task in these situations to be at the forefront of the public, to act in a sustainable, professional and positive way to be able to return to the day-to-day business, the core task of the organisation, once the situation has been fully dealt with and solutions are in place.
More on the topic of communication in moments of crisis in this week’s podcast: Apple Podcasts / Spotify.
Excellent leadership communication is important to you?
Let’s talk: NB@NB-Networks.com.
