Communication During Crisis

What an Aborted Takeoff Taught Me About Leadership

A speaker I know recently shared a story that perfectly illustrates what happens when leaders don't communicate during a crisis.

She was on a WestJet flight from Atlanta to Calgary. Everything was normal. The plane lined up on the runway and started accelerating.

They were going about 100 miles an hour when the brakes came on. Hard.

The takeoff was aborted.

For someone who flies as often as she does, this was a first. And what happened next was a masterclass in what NOT to do.

Five Minutes of Silence

The plane came to a stop. And everyone sat there in complete silence.

Nobody said anything. Nobody came over the loudspeaker. No flight attendants. Nothing.

Just passengers looking at each other thinking,

"What the hell just happened?"

Five full minutes passed.

Five minutes is a long time when something abnormal and potentially dangerous has just occurred. Enough time for your imagination to run through every worst-case scenario. Enough time to lose all confidence in the people who are supposed to be in control.

The Non-Explanation

Finally, the pilot came on.

"Oh yeah, we had to abort takeoff because the caution button came on. So, we're just going to taxi, look at things, and be on our way."

That was it. No acknowledgment of how jarring that was. No reassurance. No explanation of what the caution button meant or why it triggered.

Just a casual "we'll look at things and be on our way."

As the speaker told me, her immediate thought was: There's no possible way this flight is taking off.

And Then They Tried Again

About a half hour later, the plane was taxiing. Moving around the airport.

And then suddenly, lining up on another runway.

Bing.

"Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff."

Zero conversation with passengers. Zero explanation. Zero reassurance that whatever caused the abort had been fixed.

They went from an aborted takeoff at 100 miles an hour straight to "we're trying again" without a single word about what happened or why passengers should trust it was safe.

The flight made it to Calgary. Everything was fine. But that's not the point.

What Leaders Need to Do Differently

Communication during crisis isn't about having all the answers. It's about acknowledging what's happening and giving people enough information so they're not left in the dark.

When something goes wrong, people need three things:

• Acknowledgment. "I know that was scary. I know you're wondering what just happened."

• Explanation. "Here's what we know. Here's what we're doing."

• Reassurance. "Here's why it's safe to proceed."

The pilot did none of those things. And in the absence of information, people assume the worst.

Even though the flight landed safely, that speaker spent the entire time wondering if the problem had actually been fixed or if they were just hoping for the best.

What Good Communication Sounds Like

Imagine if the pilot had said this:

"Folks, I know that was jarring. During our takeoff roll, a caution indicator came on. Out of an abundance of caution, we aborted. That's exactly what we're trained to do. We're going to run a full diagnostic and make sure everything is functioning properly. I'll update you in about 15 minutes."

And then 15 minutes later:

"We've completed our diagnostic. The caution indicator was triggered by [specific issue]. We've addressed it, run our checks, and everything is functioning normally. We're cleared to proceed."

Clear. Direct. Reassuring.

It doesn't require every technical detail or pretending nothing happened. It just requires acknowledging reality, explaining what you're doing, and giving people a reason to trust that things are under control.

Your Team Is On That Plane

You don't have to be a pilot to face crisis communication moments.

A project behind schedule. A client who's unhappy. A product that isn't working. A team member who made a mistake.

Whatever the crisis, your team is looking to you for information. And if you don't give it to them, they'll fill in the gaps with assumptions that are almost always worse than reality.

Silence doesn't protect people. It creates anxiety.

Your employees are sitting in their version of that plane right now. Something unexpected just happened. They're looking at each other, wondering what's going on.

Don't leave them in silence. Acknowledge it. Explain it. Reassure them.

Because that small act of communication might mean everything.

At The Academy of MotivAction®, we train leaders in the communication skills that matter most during high-pressure situations and times of crisis.

Because the ability to communicate clearly when things go wrong isn't just a nice-to-have. It's what separates leaders people trust from leaders people doubt.

Learn more: https://motivaction.academy