Podcast Summary
In this episode, Working Well host Tim Borys sits down with Stephanie Craig, president of Kith—an elite crisis management firm and one of the nation’s top reputation strategists. Stephanie shares how her unique background in both American and Canadian politics prepared her for a career in crisis management, where she’s known for turning potential disasters into opportunities.
Drawing from experiences that span high-pressure political campaigns and high-stakes corporate turnarounds, Stephanie explains that effective crisis management goes beyond communications—it’s a leadership philosophy built on knowing your values, planning for the worst, and building trust before trouble strikes. She outlines practical strategies for preparing a core crisis team, integrating crisis simulations into regular operations, and using every setback as a chance to reinforce stakeholder loyalty.
Key Takeaways:
Crisis is Everywhere: Today’s fast-paced, interconnected world means crises can arise from any direction—internal or external—and effective preparation is essential.
Values-Based Leadership: When leaders know and live by their values, they create a resilient organizational culture that can weather any storm.
Preparedness Pays Off: Investing in proactive crisis planning and building a diverse, empowered crisis team can transform challenges into trust-building moments.
Adaptability and Speed: Strategic speed in decision-making, underpinned by thorough preparation, can mitigate damage and preserve a company’s reputation.
Three Essential Questions for Leaders:
What are our core values, and how do they shape our decisions in a crisis?
How are we preparing our crisis team to respond swiftly and effectively?
What steps are we taking today to build trust with our stakeholders for tomorrow’s challenges?
This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders, crisis managers, and anyone interested in creating resilient organizations in today’s unpredictable environment
Episode Links & Resources
Connect with Stephanie here:
Website: https://kith.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigstephanie/
Podcast Highlights
Please note: This highlight is generated by a computer and may contain errors.
Introduction
The episode opens with a powerful musical cue as Tim Borys introduces the theme: our globally connected, politically charged world creates a steady stream of crises and opportunities for executive leaders. Tim welcomes Stephanie Craig, president of Kith and a top crisis and reputation strategist, who brings decades of experience working with high-profile political figures and corporate turnarounds.
Stephanie’s Background
Stephanie recounts her unique upbringing, spanning from the Canadian Arctic to major political corridors in both the US and Canada. With a lineage of crisis responders—from her grandfather’s wartime service to her father’s tenure as a Mountie—Stephanie reveals that she’s always been drawn to situations where others might panic. She credits her early exposure to high-stakes political environments as the catalyst for her career in crisis management.
The Unconventional Approach to Crisis Management
Stephanie explains that crisis management is not merely about reactive communications but about proactive leadership. Reflecting on early lessons learned from a memorable event managed by a seasoned political aide, she illustrates how a potentially disastrous situation can be transformed into a valuable opportunity for dialogue and trust-building. Her philosophy emphasizes that a well-prepared crisis plan can not only mitigate damage but also elevate an organization’s reputation when executed with precision.
Leadership and the Role of Values
Diving deeper, Stephanie discusses the critical role of leadership in setting an organization’s tone. She stresses that clear, values-driven decision making is essential in crisis situations. Whether it’s responding to a data breach or managing internal issues before they escalate externally, the foundation lies in knowing your values and ensuring that every member of the team understands and embodies them. This alignment, she notes, is what turns a crisis into a rallying point for stakeholder loyalty.
Key Strategies and Crisis Preparation
Stephanie highlights practical strategies for crisis preparedness:
Building a Core Crisis Team: Establish a diverse group of 6-8 individuals with decision-making authority across key departments such as communications, legal, HR, IT, and finance.
Regular Crisis Simulations: Integrate crisis simulations into the organizational routine to ensure everyone is familiar with their roles when trouble strikes.
Using Strategic Speed: Pre-planned responses and clearly defined values enable leaders to act swiftly, reducing reaction time and minimizing damage.
She shares real-life examples—from managing payroll crises affecting veteran employees to handling unexpected issues with product recalls—that underscore the importance of planning and proactive communication.
Looking to the Future
As the conversation turns to the future, Stephanie speculates on the growing role of AI in democratizing crisis management tools. She envisions a world where automated crisis simulations and real-time alerts help organizations stay ahead of potential threats, yet always under the guidance of human judgment and values.
Conclusion
Tim wraps up the episode by reinforcing the idea that the best defense against crises is thorough preparation and a clear commitment to one’s values. Stephanie’s parting advice is simple yet profound: “Start planning now. Don’t be afraid to think about your bad days—because planning for them makes them less bad.”
Tim thanks Stephanie for sharing her expertise and reminds listeners to check out her “10 Things You Can Do in a Crisis” webpage in the show notes. He closes the episode with a call to action, inviting the audience to share their thoughts and suggest future topics.
