The Moral Art of Leading in a Crisis

Using Adam Smith’s forgotten wisdom when the world falls apart

Death on the Pale Horse by Benjamin West, 1796 (public domain - Detroit Institute of Art)

“Our sympathy is cold to the relation of distant misery.”
— Edward Gibbon, 1788

In markets and in life, we are awash in uncertainty.¹ Some aspects of the future arrive as predicted, while others arrive as unwelcome and startling as a tax audit in the middle of a honeymoon.

The comfort we find in such times is rooted in certainties — things that are under our control, the values we hold dear, and the behaviors we exhibit. These are totems of our character and culture that provide map and compass in moments of crisis.

My Timeless Leadership coaching is informed and inspired in part by the Working Together© Leadership & Management System that prepares us with this stark but realistic warning: “Expect the unexpected, and expect to deal with it, positively.”

Crisis is inevitable, but with the proper mindset and values, we can prepare ourselves and others to be resilient.