Stop Making These 3 Crisis Communications Mistakes
They'll kill you
When someone asks me what the most challenging work I do as a corporate fixer is, the answer is always crisis communications. Typically, by the time a client calls me, things have already gone sideways. A mess has been made, and it’s up to me to clean it up. It’s stressful, messy, and a bit like wrestling with an octopus—but that’s what makes it interesting.
Stop apologizing. Apologies have become the reflex in a crisis: almost never written by the person in charge and almost always overstuffed with fake humility. People see through it. These “sorry not sorry” statements make you look weak, desperate, and untrustworthy. In most cases, I tell my clients: don’t apologize. Own your actions through decisive moves, not manufactured words.
Stop listening to sycophants. Your yes-people will betray you the second things get rough. They’ll tell you it’s not that bad, flatter your instincts, or switch positions with the wind. In a crisis, you need truth-tellers, not status-keepers. That’s why sometimes you hire someone like me: someone who has skin in the game—but not all of it.
Stop explaining yourself. Most leaders panic and dump every detail, every excuse, every backstory onto the public. That just makes you look defensive, messy, and guilty. The smarter move? Say only what matters. Keep it minimal. Control the narrative with action, not words. Let people see you handling it—don’t try to make them understand it.
Crisis communications isn’t about saying the right thing. It’s about not saying the wrong thing—and doing the right thing fast. Stop apologizing. Stop listening to yes-people. Stop over-explaining. Start moving.
Crisis doesn’t wait. Neither do I. If you’re serious about handling it, let’s talk.
Susannah Breslin is the founder of The Fixer, a strategic communications consultancy. She helps CEOs, founders, and venture capitalists cut through noise, control the narrative, and navigate crises. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start fixing, get in touch here.