Published
30th July 2025
Read time
8 min read

"A human experience with human consequences requiring a human response based on human empathy."

That's how crisis management specialist Rod Cartwright redefined 'crisis' at this year's CIPR Midlands PR Conference—and it's a definition that should fundamentally change how we approach crisis communication.

In an era dominated by what Rod calls the "terrible triad" of polarisation, populism, and disinformation, traditional corporate crisis responses are not just insufficient—they're counterproductive. Stakeholders can spot inauthentic messaging from miles away, and in today's hyper-connected world, authenticity isn't just nice to have—it's the difference between reputation recovery and reputation destruction.

At Leopard Co, we've seen this shift firsthand. The brands that weather crises successfully aren't those with the slickest messaging—they're the ones that remember crisis communication is fundamentally about human connection.

The Problem with Corporate Crisis Communication

Traditional crisis communication training teaches us to control the narrative, limit liability, and manage message consistency. These aren't wrong, but they're incomplete.

Rod's analysis of 11 major global risk reports reveals we're operating in a fundamentally different landscape than even five years ago. The convergence of multiple, interconnected crises—from climate emergencies to mental health epidemics to AI disruption—creates what he terms "permacrisis": a persistent state of uncertainty where traditional playbooks feel inadequate.

In this environment, corporate-speak doesn't just fail to connect, it actively alienates. When people are experiencing genuine fear, confusion, or frustration, responses that feel scripted or calculated can make the situation worse.

Consider the difference between:

Corporate response: "We are investigating the matter and will provide updates as appropriate.”

Human response: "We understand how concerning this must be. Here's what we know so far, here's what we're doing about it, and here's when we'll update you next.”

The second acknowledges the human experience behind the crisis—and that acknowledgement is what builds trust.

The Human-Centric Alternative 

Rod's framework shifts focus from message management to relationship management, from "the self" to "the other." This isn't about being soft—it's about being effective.

Human-centric crisis communication recognises three fundamental truths:

People Remember How You Made Them Feel: In times of uncertainty, emotional response often trumps rational argument. Stakeholders may forget the exact details of your crisis, but they'll remember whether you made them feel heard, valued, and respected.

Authenticity Can't Be Faked: Rod emphasises that character-centred scandals consistently overshadow capability-led crises. When stakeholders question your character—your values, transparency, and ethical conduct—technical competence becomes irrelevant.

Trust is Built Through Consistency: You're defined not by the behaviours you promote, but by the behaviours you tolerate. Crisis reveals character, and character is built through countless small decisions made when no one is watching.

Operationalising Empathy: A Practical Framework

The concept of "operationalising empathy" emerged as one of Rod's most compelling insights. In short, this is the practice of incorporating understanding of others' emotions and perspectives into everyday operations and decision-making processes.

For integrated marketing and PR teams, this means building empathy into your crisis response system, creating structures that enable human connection even under intense pressure:

Before Crisis Hits: Building Empathetic Infrastructure

  • Stakeholder mapping: Understand not just who your stakeholders are, but what they care about, fear, and need from you

  • Voice development: Train spokespeople to communicate with genuine humanity, not just message discipline

  • Decision-making frameworks: Build empathy checkpoints into your crisis decision trees

During Crisis: Empathetic Response in Action

  • Lead with acknowledgement: Start by recognising the human impact before explaining your response

  • Communicate with clarity: Use plain English that respects people's intelligence without overwhelming them

  • Show, don't just tell: Demonstrate your values through actions, not just statements

After Crisis: Learning with Humility

  • Listen actively: Seek genuine feedback about how your response felt to those affected

  • Adapt systems: Use learnings to improve both technical processes and human touchpoints

  • Maintain momentum: Continue empathetic communication practices in normal times

Commander's Intent: Empowering Human Judgement

But operationalising empathy requires more than good intentions—it demands clear decision-making frameworks that guide human judgement under pressure. This is where Rod's concept of "Commander's Intent" becomes crucial.

Rod introduced another crucial concept: "Commander's Intent"—a clear, concise statement outlining the desired end state and purpose behind crisis response. This military-derived principle empowers team members to make decisions that align with your values, even when circumstances change rapidly.

For crisis communication, Commander's Intent might sound like:

"When crisis hits, our priority is simple: help people understand what happened, what we're doing about it, and how we'll prevent it happening again. Every response should sound like it comes from real humans who genuinely care about the impact on real people. If you're unsure whether to share information, err on the side of transparency. If you're unsure how to say something, imagine explaining it to someone you care about."

This approach enables your team to respond with both speed and authenticity, because they understand not just what to say, but why they're saying it.

The Performance Advantage

Here's the crucial insight: human-centric crisis communication doesn't just feel better—it performs better.

Research from the Reputation Institute shows that companies with strong emotional connections to stakeholders recover 30% faster from reputation crises than those relying on purely rational messaging. Meanwhile, Edelman's Trust Barometer reveals that 67% of consumers will defend brands they trust during a crisis—but only if they perceive the response as authentic.

Rod's research reveals that organisations excelling in human-centred crisis response build stronger stakeholder relationships that translate to tangible business advantage:

  • Faster reputation recovery because stakeholders feel heard rather than managed

  • Stronger employee engagement because internal teams feel aligned with authentic values

  • Enhanced customer loyalty because genuine care creates deeper emotional connection

  • Improved media relationships because journalists prefer working with authentic voices

Most importantly, the capabilities required for human-centric crisis communication—empathy, clarity, authenticity—become competitive advantages in normal times too.

Building Your Human-Centric Response

Ready to shift from corporate crisis management to human-centric communication? Start with these steps:

  • Audit Your Current Approach: Review your existing crisis protocols. Do they include empathy checkpoints? Are your template responses written in human language? Would you want to receive the communications you're prepared to send?

  • Train for Humanity, Not Just Messages: Include emotional intelligence training alongside media training. Practice scenarios that focus on how responses feel, not just what they say.

  • Create Empathetic Systems: Build operational processes that make human-centric response easier under pressure. This includes pre-approved frameworks for acknowledging impact, clear escalation paths for difficult decisions, and rapid feedback loops with affected stakeholders.

The Human Imperative

Rod's closing insight stays with us: "Crisis communicators need to act as 'Sensemakers-in-Chief', focusing as much on relationships as reputation, shifting their focus from 'the self' to 'the other'."

In our era of permacrisis, this isn't just good practice—it's essential for survival. The brands that thrive aren't those that perfect message control, but those that perfect human connection.

At Leopard Co, we help brands build crisis communication strategies rooted in authentic human understanding, creating responses that work because they recognise that behind every crisis are real people with real concerns. The question isn't whether your next crisis will test your messaging—it's whether it will reveal your character.

Ready to audit your crisis response for human-centric readiness? We'll help you identify the gaps between corporate protocol and authentic communication—and build frameworks that perform when it matters most. Get in touch.