As a leader, when facing a crisis, you have to adopt the best position in order to ensure the efficiency of your action. And, most importantly, this action has to be taken as fast as possible. The first 15 minutes after having found out about a crisis, you should be ready to provide a solution.

Leaders in a time of crisis

The “First 15 Minutes” crisis management checklist:<ul>
<li>focus on the current matter.</li>
<li>become the trusted voice in this crisis. Designate a crisis team.</li>
<li>monitor in real-time what the media has to say on the topic.</li>
<li>get a deeper understanding of the scope of the issue and the vital decisions to be made.</li>
<li>prepare an initial 'holding statement' in order to make your opinion pubic. Make sure the statement goes viral fast.</li>
<li>document well before speaking publicly. </li><li>show humanity, compassion, and concern for any human toll – and mean it. </li>
<li>follow up on everything that you have engaged yourself to fulfill.</li>
</ul>

The “First 15 Minutes” checklist

Dealing with a crisis increases the risk of taking bad decisions. When times get harder:
<ul>
<li>don't lie, minimize the situation or make jokes regarding the crisis.</li>
<li>don't run away from your responsibilities.</li>
<li>don't hurry to issue a denial unless you have all the facts.</li>
<li>make positive statements when talking about the matter, rather than negative ones.</li>
<li>don’t let your fears of liability trump your humanity. </li><li>don’t speculate until you fully understand the situation.</li>
</ul>

Don'ts for times of crisis

When a crisis hits, how you respond in the first 15 minutes can make or break your organization - and your reputation. Your response must be exactly the right message, delivered in the right words, to the right audiences, in just the right way - or you will have to deal with your mistakes for days, weeks, even months to come.