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ARTICLE · 02 DECEMBER 2025

How To Lead When Everything Goes Wrong

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Leadership is easy when things go to plan. But true leadership is revealed when everything falls apart. I have worked with leaders in the crucible of crisis—financial collapse, reputational damage, existential threat.

United KingdomStrategy
Simon Freakley
Simon Freakley
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Leadership on a tightrope, part 8.

Leadership is easy when things go to plan. But true leadership is revealed when everything falls apart.

I have worked with leaders in the crucible of crisis—financial collapse, reputational damage, existential threat. In those moments, the question is not whether you have the perfect strategy. It is whether you have the mindset to endure, adapt, and lead others through uncertainty.

Consider the astronauts aboard the International Space Station during the 2022 Soyuz coolant leak. With their return vehicle compromised and no immediate solution in sight, they did not panic. Nor did they freeze. They focused. They relied on training, teamwork, and calm communication. With no visibility on how or when they would get home, they trusted the process, stayed mission-oriented, and made decisions based on what they did know.

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