Core crisis leadership tasks
This task involves recognizing and interpreting a situation as a crisis early on
What is sensemaking?
This concept refers to how a leader interprets what kind of crisis they are dealing with
What is problem definition?
According to this theory, this single task dominates crisis leadership in sudden crises.
What is meaning-making?
This disaster is used as a case to demonstrate large-scale crisis communication failure.
What is Hurricane Katrina?
This task involves constructing a convincing narrative to reduce uncertainty and guide the public
These three dimensions must be balanced to evaluate crisis leadership success
What are effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability?
This strategy involves expressing public emotions like fear and turning them into collective strength.
What is articulation of sentiments?
Crisis communication is not only symbolic but also functions as this type of system.
What is an administrative coordination mechanism?
This task refers to making high-stakes choices under uncertainty and coordinating action.
What is decision-making?
This dimension focuses on minimizing long-term societal and economic costs during a crisis
What is efficiency?
This strategy shapes how the public interprets reality, for example by describing a crisis as a war.
What is framing the crisis?
This occurs when authority is unclear and information fails to flow across institutions.
What is structural communication failure?
This task becomes especially critical when leaders must justify actions and maintain legitimacy after the crisis.
What is accountability?
According to this framework, crisis success is best understood as managing this challenge.
What is balancing competing priorities under democratic pressure?
This concept explains why constant public appearances by leaders create a perception of control and competence.
What is ritualized visibility?
This key insight shows the limit of meaning-making in fragmented governance systems.
What is meaning-making cannot compensate for coordination failure?