Crisis Leadership and Resilience Course

Introduction

In an increasingly unpredictable world marked by global pandemics, political instability, climate emergencies, cyber threats, and economic shocks leaders must be prepared to navigate crises with confidence, clarity, and compassion. Crisis leadership is no longer a niche competency; it is a core requirement for resilient and future-ready organizations.

The course equips leaders with the mindset, skills, and tools necessary to lead effectively in times of turbulence, uncertainty, and disruption. Participants will explore how to anticipate, manage, and recover from crises while maintaining organizational integrity, protecting stakeholder trust, and fostering adaptive capacity.

This course emphasizes both the strategic and human dimensions of crisis leadership combining risk management, communication strategies, and business continuity planning with emotional intelligence, ethical decision-making, and team resilience.

Through scenario-based learning, case studies, and self-reflection, participants will build the agility and foresight needed to lead through complexity and emerge stronger from adversity.

Who should attend?

The course is designed for:

·         Senior executives and directors who lead crisis response and continuity planning

·         Mid-level managers and team leaders seeking to strengthen their leadership during volatile or high-pressure situations

·         Risk management, compliance, and business continuity professionals responsible for organizational preparedness

·         Public sector and NGO leaders facing complex emergencies and stakeholder expectations

·         Human resource leaders and change managers supporting workforce resilience and well-being

·         Security, operations, and emergency response coordinators managing frontline crisis logistics

·         Entrepreneurs and founders seeking to future-proof their businesses against shocks

·         Board members and governance professionals accountable for oversight during crises

Course duration

5 days

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

·         Understand the dynamics of crisis situations, including types of crises, escalation patterns, and organizational vulnerabilities.

·         Develop and implement crisis response frameworks, including emergency protocols, communication strategies, and business continuity plans.

·         Make sound and timely decisions under pressure, using structured approaches to assess risk, prioritize actions, and allocate resources effectively.

·         Lead with emotional intelligence and ethical clarity in times of high stress, fear, and uncertainty.

·         Strengthen personal and team resilience, applying techniques to sustain focus, morale, and performance during disruption.

·         Communicate transparently and credibly with stakeholders, including employees, customers, media, and the public.

·         Foster a resilient organizational culture, encouraging adaptability, learning, and continuous improvement.

·         Evaluate crisis outcomes and lessons learned to build organizational agility and future preparedness.

·         Align crisis response with long-term strategic goals, ensuring that decisions made during emergencies support reputation, recovery, and renewal.

·         Create a customized crisis leadership playbook tailored to the participant’s organizational context and leadership role.

Course Outline

Module 1: Understanding Crisis and Its Impact

·         Types of crises and stages of escalation

·         Systemic risks and organizational vulnerabilities

·         Leadership responsibilities in volatile environments

·         Case studies of public, corporate, and geopolitical crises

Module 2: The Psychology of Crisis Leadership

·         Cognitive and emotional responses to crisis

·         Emotional intelligence and behavioral self-regulation

·         Psychological safety and leadership under stress

·         Self-assessment: personal resilience profile

Module 3: Crisis Preparedness and Planning

·         Strategic risk assessment and scenario planning

·         Crisis response structures and team roles

·         Business continuity vs. crisis management

·         Organizational readiness audits

Module 4: Decision-Making Under Pressure

·         Decision-making frameworks: OODA loop, RACI, red teaming

·         Managing ambiguity and incomplete information

·         Ethical dilemmas in urgent contexts

·         Simulation: Executive crisis leadership challenge

Module 5: Stakeholder Communication in Crisis

·         Crisis communication principles and best practices

·         Media response, messaging consistency, and public trust

·         Internal vs. external stakeholder engagement

·         Role-play: Leading a press briefing

Module 6: Leading Resilient Teams

·         Fostering team adaptability, trust, and well-being

·         Preventing burnout and managing energy in prolonged crises

·         Distributed leadership and collaborative problem-solving

·         Tools for individual and team resilience building

Module 7: Recovery, Reflection, and Organizational Learning

·         Conducting post-crisis reviews and extracting insights

·         Leveraging disruption for strategic reinvention

·         Culture change for long-term adaptability

·         Case: Renewal and reinvention after major crises

Module 8: Crisis Leadership Playbook

·         Design a tailored playbook for a crisis relevant to your role/organization

·         Define leadership principles, response tactics, stakeholder map, and key metrics

·         Building your personal resilience roadmap

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.

Online/ On-site (Nairobi, Kenya) Training Schedule