Startups are a rollercoaster; we’ve all heard that cliché. But what do you do when things get really ugly? The major outage, a security breach, a critical vendor that suddenly stops working, or a big tech company deciding to become your direct competitor? As a leader, how you react and manage yourself and the rest of the organization in crisis mode is vital. What do you do?

Unfortunately, I routinely see leaders who get so rattled in emergencies that they forget entirely what responsibilities they hold. The organization loses all of its momentum and wastes weeks or even months to “rebuild” its basic foundations and regaining rhythm. Let’s help you be better prepared for the next inevitable crisis.

All Hands on Deck

First, let’s not pretend we’re supposed to be super zen and completely mindful, stoic as whatever grand horror show is unfolding in front of you. When something potentially devastating happens, you definitely go into “trauma room” instincts and—if needed—drop everything, clear everyone’s schedule, and focus on this issue. These are the moments that really merit your full attention and focus.

The leadership skill gap is that too many leaders remain stuck in this way of thinking. Allowing you to get sucked into a whirlwind of running around, flailing your hands in the air, isn’t really leadership. Every month, I come across a senior leader who remains stuck in a “Groundhog Day” for weeks on end. You can do better.

Emergency Mode

Instead, what you should do is perform a deliberate and controlled transition into emergency mode. After the initial shock—that should last no more than 48 hours—it’s time to decide how you’ll tackle the crisis without burning everyone out and with minimal damage to the rest of the organization. This is about you acting as the responsible adult and making an actual decision about how to continue.

Think about the first days of COVID lockdowns (or, like some of us have been enduring, when an actual war starts). Initially, you just drop everything and tackle mere survival. Some people spent whole weeks in zombie-like mode during lockdowns, but those who did far better created a new routine. Communicate how you will handle things in the next week or two.

For example, officially “break” the sprint and decide which work is put on pause for the time being, while also stating what you expect to continue regardless of the interruption. Form task forces if needed. Explicitly decide which parts of your rituals and processes need to be changed, such as canceling some recurring meetings for the next couple of weeks. You must make choices and stick to them. Otherwise, chaos ensues.

New Normal

Depending on what sort of mess you found yourself in, after the initial emergency period you decided about comes to end, you’ll need to reassess. Hopefully, things will be resolved and you can go back to your regular routines. However, you might realize that the crisis requires yet more time to handle. If we’re talking about another week or two, you can repeat the same process we just covered.

However, you might realize that you are now going into a new normal (or, as Alan Weiss calls it, “no normal”). If, realistically speaking, you expect things to remain somewhat hectic for a longer period, the organization will benefit from an orderly phase change. Perhaps the task force will have to become “official” for the next quarter, and people will have a new manager. The roadmap will be altered.

When Apple’s ATT change rattled many companies reliant on specific advertising schemes, some startups spiraled, whereas others realized a substantial change was required and created a “new normal” org chart. The same with startups that realized the major impact AI will have on their businesses.

You’re a leader, and that means it’s up to you actually to take the lead and help people make forward progress. I hope you won’t find yourself in such crises a lot, but we both know some are inevitable. You should come to them as prepared as you can.