CrowdStrike And Communication: Example Of Inclusive Leadership Strategies In Action
As the real-life impact of the CrowdStrike and Microsoft outage continues to unfold, one thing is clear: building crisis communication strategies is an essential part of leadership. It’s a step that happens well before challenges become public.
Having a clear crisis communication plan is not something seen as an automatic part of an inclusive leadership strategy. However, if we align all leadership strategies to include risk management and contingency planning, building ways to reduce the impact of crises can prevent the event from escalating.
From their interview on NBC’s Today show to coverage by my colleagues at CRN, the team at CrowdStrike continues to share timely updates with a focus on responsibility and transparency. Here are some examples that as of Monday, July 22, 2024, we can all learn from.
Be Proactive
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz and team have been and continue to be proactive in their sharing of pertinent materials and status updates. By sharing information as soon as possible, the CEO has left less room for the public to wonder what the company might be hiding. Furthermore, their prompt response via multiple communication channels increases the reach of accurate information. According to a McKinsey & Company study on B2B sales strategy that could be applied to communication as well, using four or more channels can increase the chances of a successful response by 31 percent.
Choose A Spokesperson And Take Responsibility
Consider who is best able to represent the organization during a crisis, which may not always be the CEO. In many organizations, a marketing or communications manager will take the lead with the media. In others, it may be a department head or executive leader. No matter who it is, there should be one voice with an agreed-upon message—for both internal and external communications. In the case of CrowdStrike, that voice was and continues to be Kurtz.
Kurtz continues to mention that keeping up with hackers requires frequent updates to security tools—and sometimes, something breaks. In his interview with the Today show, Kurtz did not shift blame from his organization, but rather pointed to the nuanced nature of keeping in step with cybersecurity, a feat that is clearly not an easy one. By taking responsibility while also making sense of the chaos, Kurtz establishes CrowdStrike as the owner of the challenge but also an expert, continued adviser in the field of IT security.
Additionally, taking clear responsibility relying on the facts shared proactively provides space for others to draw conclusions—analyzing behavior and facts as they are presented. For example, in his analysis, CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach shared that, amid the fallout from the massive worldwide outage, CrowdStrike “clearly messed up here, but it isn’t the only responsible party.” It's a conclusion that would not be reached without ownership of responsibility and clear, centralized communication.
Put Employees First
While there have been limited official updates regarding CrowdStrike’s internal communication, putting employees first, informing them before communicating with others outside the organization, shows clear understanding of narrative and its power. Internal communication strategies begin before a public challenge or crisis. What are the ways you currently share information? Is there a designated talk track that focuses on transparency, honesty and accountability? Having these as core values that are not only talked about but experiences allow for alignment during times of challenge.
The reality is that it is not a question of if a crisis, cybersecurity or otherwise, will happen—but when. Instituting inclusive leadership strategies of transparency, honesty and proactive communication will go a long way in watershed moments.
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Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash