Poll: How should top executives respond to a crisis?

The last thing most leaders want to do amid a smoldering crisis is typically the first thing they should do—communicate.

The question is: What’s the best way to tiptoe through tender times?

Signal Leadership Communication’s recent poll of 1,000 Canadians found that 61 percent of respondents think it’s “important” for CEOs to communicate on social media during a crisis. However, “Fifty-three percent say that when a company has a crisis, CEOs should ‘communicate primarily through their public relations team communicating with journalists in the media.’”

Respondents also offered guidance regarding CEO messaging, should they choose to pipe up. According to Signal Leadership Communication:

Almost two in three Canadians (65 percent) feel that it is important (33 percent) or somewhat important (32 percent) for CEOs to use social media to “share updates about the problem” when a company has a crisis.