Think of a lightning rod during a thunderstorm. 

It absorbs the shock and channels the energy without letting it spread. The same is true of good managers during an emergency.

A crisis doesn’t wait for a convenient time to happen. It doesn’t check your availability or ask for permission. It arrives suddenly and demands immediate action. 

In that moment, your team looks to you – not necessarily to fix the issue yourself but to provide guidance.

A strong engineering team can handle many crises independently. They should be able to assess the problem, take action, and communicate effectively without constant input from management.

But not every crisis is straightforward. Sometimes, the right people aren’t available, and sometimes, the issue is too big or too complex for the team to manage alone. That’s when they need you the most. But just as important is knowing when they don’t need you.

Your team shouldn’t always need you – but they should know you’re there

A well-structured team doesn’t need a manager to step in whenever something goes wrong. Imagine your team rolling out a release, and everything breaks.  

Maybe it was a failure in the database migration, an infra issue, or some conflict with a third-party service. Your engineers took action and:

  • Performed a rollback
  • Fixed the issue
  • Ran a postmortem
  • And developed a plan to prevent the issue from happening again

By the time you found out, everything was already handled. This kind of independence happens because:

  • The right people are in place: engineers take ownership instead of waiting for instructions
  • The team is built on trust: they don’t second-guess themselves or hesitate to act
  • Clear processes exist: everyone knows what to do when something goes wrong

In a team like this, a crisis isn’t necessarily a disaster – it’s just another problem to solve.

However, not every situation plays out this way. Some crises demand direct leadership.

When you do need to step in

However, there will be times when your involvement is essential. Sometimes, the people with the necessary knowledge or access aren’t available. Other times, the issue is so convoluted that the team needs additional structure and coordination.At other times, the issue is so complex that the team requires

Consider a scenario in which you and your team developed a product for a company in another timezone. Around midnight (your time), users start reporting that the application is down. It’s the middle of their workday, and they can’t do anything. 

Now, the two engineers with the necessary expertise are unavailable. One is on a plane, and therefore, unreachable. The other isn’t responding to messages or calls. A few other engineers are reachable but none of them can fix the problem immediately.

This is a situation in which no one can solve the issue immediately. However, as a leader, you can manage the response. 

Here’s what your team needs from you. 

1 – Communicate with clarity

Your team’s first need in a crisis isn’t a solution – it’s clarity. And clarity starts with communication.

Although everyone’s response is different, most engineers who would wake up to the crisis in the morning would likely panic. They see you – their manager – as an authority and guide. 

Uncertainty is a stress multiplier. When people don’t have information, they assume the worst. They’ll probably start wondering all sorts of things:

  • “Was my last commit the culprit?”
  • “Are we going to lose this client?”
  • “Are we going to get fired?”

It’s a natural response from someone who’s suddenly faced with a problem and little context. The more context and reassurance you provide, the more coordinated they’ll act. 

Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine being an engineer and receiving an email from your manager, that reads something like:

  • “Our client’s system is down, and I’ll need you to coordinate ASAP.”

Versus

  • “Our client’s system is down, and I’ll need you to coordinate ASAP. Yes, this is bad. No, you’re not getting fired. We’ll fix it first thing in the morning. Here’s what we know so far (...)”

While the first isn’t necessarily bad, it can trigger unnecessary panic. 

As a leader, removing ambiguity is a big part of your job. This is especially important when giving feedback during an emergency situation. Sometimes, you’ll be the carrier of bad news. It’s inevitable. But how you announce information to your team can make all the difference. 

If you provide clarity, your team will feel more at ease knowing exactly what to expect.

2 – Composure

During a crisis, your team isn’t just looking for a solution – they’re looking at you. And how you react sets the tone for how they respond.

If you show stress or uncertainty, that anxiety will spread – because if you panic, it must be serious, right? But if you stay calm and focused, your team will follow your lead.

Think of it like an emergency in an office building. If the fire alarm goes off and the person in charge looks panicked and confused, employees hesitate. But if that person confidently gives clear instructions, everyone follows without chaos.

Your team doesn’t expect you to have all the answers immediately. But they need to see that you’re in control, even when the situation isn’t.

You don’t have to pretend everything is fine. You just have to project confidence that the team can handle the crisis together.

3 – Trust 

In a crisis, your team isn’t looking for you to step in and do their work. They’re looking for you to trust them to do it.

If you’ve built a strong team, they already know how to solve problems. And even if they don’t, they’ll find a way. What they need from you is support, not control.

As a manager, your role in a crisis is to:

Remember the engineer who was on a plane when the emergency took place? You should gather all the information you can about the incident and hand it to them as soon as they’re reachable again. Afterwards, step back and let them do their work. A smooth transition to the right person ensures the fix happens as quickly and effectively as possible – without unnecessary interference.

Your team needs to know you trust them to handle the crisis, so they can stay focused instead of second-guessing themselves.

4 – Acknowledgement 

In a crisis, your team is doing their best under pressure. They’re:

  • Troubleshooting
  • Communicating
  • And likely working long hours to restore stability 

When the dust settles, they need to hear that their efforts mattered.

Always tell your team they did a great job. Don’t withhold praise out of fear of making people overconfident. We don’t hear appraisal often enough. Even when things go wrong, recognizing effort and learning from mistakes keeps morale strong.

Acknowledgment isn’t about inflating egos. It’s about reinforcing good behaviors.

When a crisis is over, take time to:

  • Recognize individuals who stepped up by calling out specific contributions
  • Highlight what went well
  • And encourage learning from mistakes

Recognition doesn’t have to be grand. A simple: “You handled that well” or “Great job!” can make a huge difference.

The short version: be the calm in the storm

When a crisis hits, your team doesn’t expect you to have all the answers. They expect presence, direction, and steadiness. Your response determines how they react and perform under pressure. 

Here’s what they need from you:

  • Clarity: Uncertainty creates panic. Clearly define the problem, communicate what’s happening, and set realistic expectations. Address concerns before they spiral. If you don’t have all the answers, be honest, but always keep the team informed.
  • Composure: Your reaction sets the tone. If you panic, your team will too. Stay calm, give clear direction, and show confidence even in uncertainty. Think of yourself as an anchor – your stability keeps the team grounded when things feel chaotic.
  • Trust: Your team doesn’t need micromanagement, they need support. Ensure they have the right information and resources, remove blockers, and step back so they can do their jobs. The best way to help is by giving them the space to execute without interference.
  • Acknowledgment: Once the crisis is over, take time to recognize the team’s efforts. Praise individuals who stepped up, highlight what went well, and reinforce a culture of learning. Even when things go wrong, showing appreciation helps build morale and resilience.

A crisis is a test of leadership – not just of what you do, but how you show up. Your ability to provide clarity, stay composed, trust your team, and recognize their work shapes how they respond when it matters most. 

In the chaos, your steadiness becomes their direction.

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Originally published on Medium.com