the foHRsight podcast: Leadership in Crisis: Lessons in Vulnerable Leadership and Wellbeing

The early weeks of 2025 have tested leaders across industries in unprecedented ways. From natural disasters to organizational upheavals, the landscape of leadership continues to evolve, demanding new approaches to resilience and authenticity. In a revealing conversation with executive coach Sarah Gibbons, whose Los Angeles home was recently impacted by devastating fires, we uncover powerful insights about maintaining leadership presence while navigating personal crisis – lessons that resonate deeply in today's complex business environment.

The Power of Vulnerable Leadership

When crisis strikes, our first instinct as leaders often leans toward projecting strength and certainty. Yet, as Sarah Gibbons' experience reveals, true leadership strength emerges through vulnerability. "Even though I have a very vast toolkit, because I spend most of my days working in personal and professional development and leadership, there was a moment when this first happened where, just like anybody else, I thought, 'I'm totally not equipped for this,'" Sarah shares.

This acknowledgment of human limitations, far from undermining leadership authority, actually enhances it. Sarah's journey from successful sales professional to executive coach illuminates how embracing our full humanity – including our uncertainties and challenges – creates more effective leadership presence. "We're all spiritual beings having a human experience," she emphasizes, reminding us that leadership isn't about perfection but about authentic presence.

The Counterintuitive Path: Slowing Down

In times of crisis, the natural tendency is to accelerate – to work harder, faster, longer. However, Sarah's recent experience offers a powerful alternative perspective. "It's opposite of what you think, but really slowing down... Having this space, especially if you're trying to be creative, it's really hard to be creative if you're back-to-back in meetings, sleeping five hours a night."

Sarah's decision to take a three-week pause from her coaching practice exemplifies this principle. "I realized I didn't have the energy to be showing up for my clients in a way that really felt like I was in integrity," she explains. This choice, while challenging for a driven professional, demonstrates how strategic pauses can actually accelerate effective leadership.

This counterintuitive approach yields surprising benefits:

- Enhanced clarity in decision-making
- Improved emotional regulation
- Better team connections
- Sustainable energy management
- Space for creative solutions

Decision-Making Under Pressure

Leadership during crisis demands a delicate balance between thoughtful consideration and decisive action. Sarah observes that successful leaders share a common trait: decisiveness. "My leaders who seem to be experiencing more inner calm can look out at their businesses and go, 'right, we are on the path we want to be on.' I would say one of the common threads that they all have is they're decisive."

This decisiveness doesn't mean every decision is perfect. Rather, it reflects an understanding that forward momentum, even with course corrections, surpasses paralysis. "If they have to course correct, they will course correct, but they've moved out of that no man's land that can start to happen when decisions don't get made."

 Building Support Systems

One of the most striking insights from Sarah's experience is the critical importance of intentional support systems. Her creation of "The Board," a curated leadership group, exemplifies this necessity. "Leadership doesn't happen in silos," she explains, highlighting how mixed-gender groups of leaders come together for intensive development and support.

The impact of these structured support systems extends beyond professional development:

- Creates safe spaces for vulnerable conversations
- Enables peer learning across industries
- Fosters long-term professional relationships
- Provides accountability and growth opportunities

"Revolutionary growth happens inside revolutionary relationships," Sarah notes, emphasizing how genuine support systems challenge the often competitive nature of professional environments.

The HR Leader's Challenge

For HR leaders, the challenges of crisis leadership carry additional weight. "HR is the hardest job in any organization; the number of plates that people are spinning and the amount of holding that they do, not just information, but people's wellbeing is extraordinary."

Essential strategies for HR leadership sustainability:

1. Personal Support Systems
"Making sure that you have support for yourself, and I really mean that," Sarah emphasizes. "HR people are on the front lines, giving, giving, giving all day long."

2. Clear Boundaries
"Getting clear on, is there one boundary that if you were to set that boundary, it would help you maintain your own energy?"

3. Open Communication
"Have a conversation and let them know where you are and what your capacity is so that you're able to feel like you're on the same team together."

Finding Balance in Chaos

Sarah shares a powerful surfing metaphor that encapsulates the challenge of leadership during turbulent times: "Where do you look when you're on your surfboard? Where I know to look is at the beach, where I often look is straight down. And what happens when you look straight down when you're on your surfboard is you immediately fall."

This surfing wisdom translates directly to crisis leadership:

- Look too far ahead: Risk losing touch with immediate needs
- Look straight down: Become overwhelmed by current challenges
- Find the middle distance: Maintain balance between present and future

 Key Takeaways for Leaders

1. Embrace Vulnerability: Authentic leadership strengthens team connections and trust

2. Create Space: Strategic pauses enable better decision-making and sustainable leadership

3. Stay Decisive: Forward momentum, even with corrections, beats paralysis

4. Build Support: Intentional support systems are crucial for leadership resilience

5. Maintain Balance: Find the middle ground between immediate challenges and future direction

Looking foHRward

The journey through crisis, while challenging, offers unprecedented opportunities for leadership growth. As Sarah's experience demonstrates, the key lies not in avoiding vulnerability but in embracing it as a source of strength and connection. Through conscious leadership, intentional community building, and balanced self-care, leaders can not only navigate crisis but emerge stronger and more effective.