Dealing With Crises
Over a lifetime of building a personal brand, something less than ideal will happen. A crisis is rarely the end; how you respond decides most of the damage.
What Dealing With Crises Is
The Manifesto defines a crisis as a negative spotlight on something that happened to you, something you did, or someone you are associated with. It sets out five ways people respond, from pretending nothing happened to giving to charity, and is candid about where each one fails.
Its favorite is addressing the situation head on, because it shows the most accountability, and it is useless without real change afterward. A mistake can even become a public lesson.
Acknowledging your mistakes does not make you any less of a person; acknowledging mistakes shows character and that you are willing to accept accountability and adopt change.
Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition, 5.9
The Five Responses
- ApathyAct as if it does not exist and take no blame.
- Claim IgnoranceSay you did not know. It can sit close to deceit.
- Address It Head OnTake accountability and change. The response the book favors.
- SeparationLet an agent or mediator speak for you. Done poorly, it reads as guilt.
- Masquerading Through CharityGood deeds after a wrong rarely look genuine, and sometimes make it worse.
Where It Comes From
- Source
- Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, Second Edition (Mashman Publishing, 2025)
- Chapter
- 5. Reputation Management
- Subchapter
- 5.9 Dealing With Crises, page 202
- Pillar It Serves
- Reputational Health & Risks
The Full Method Is in the Book
This page is a summary. The subchapter itself goes further, with the reasoning, the stories behind it, and the exercise that closes it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first in a personal brand crisis?
Before any sudden move, evaluate the situation and map out a plan. Then, in most cases, address it head on and make sure the cause does not happen again.
Will apologizing satisfy everyone?
No. The Manifesto is realistic: not everyone will respect an acknowledgment, but it limits the long-term damage.
Related
Executives and C-Suite Leaders
More executives are becoming the public face of their companies. The ones who do it well build a presence before a crisis or a stock price asks them to.
The Leaning Tower
No matter how far a personal brand reaches, it is always a single misstep away from crashing down. The size of a reputation is not a shield.
Who Has Leverage Over You?
To be a public figure is to be watched. As your efforts pay off, the people who hold leverage over you, and what they could do with it, matter more.
Controversy With Purpose
Avoid controversy that concerns your own reputation. External controversy, handled with intent and class, can position you as the expert.
Your name is already being interpreted. The question is who are they, and what are they thinking?
Engagements are accepted by application and seats are limited each quarter. Tell us who you are, what you are building, and the position you intend to hold.