What It Takes to Lead Your Team Through Turbulence

"The takeaway for leaders? Empathy and adaptability aren't soft skills; they're strategic imperatives. There is a growing recognition among leaders that stress triggered by external events is no longer peripheral. In today's world, it's a central management challenge. To explore these dynamics, we conducted a cross-national study to understand how leaders respond when external unrest threatens to destabilize the emotional and operational rhythm of their teams."

"We interviewed 15 managers - three each from the U.K., France, Chile, South Africa, and Turkey - during periods of intense disruption and learned that sustained turbulence can leave deep psychological and operational footprints within organizations. 1 To deepen our understanding of the employee experience, we also engaged with five or six team members in each region. Their reflections revealed just how quickly focus, morale, and psychological safety can erode when the world outside shakes the foundations within."

"As geopolitical shocks, civil unrest, and viral news cycles unfold in real time, the boundaries between the outside world and the workplace are increasingly porous. Political protests, public demonstrations, and national crises don't just dominate headlines - they influence the conversations, emotions, and the daily lives of employees. For leaders, this presents a complex mandate: to ensure business continuity while tending to the human impact of upheaval."

Approximately 80% of employees struggle to concentrate during political crises and social disruption. Geopolitical shocks, civil unrest, and viral news cycles blur boundaries between the outside world and the workplace, influencing conversations, emotions, and daily lives. Managers face the dual mandate of ensuring business continuity while addressing the human impact of upheaval. Sustained turbulence can leave deep psychological and operational footprints, eroding focus, morale, and psychological safety. Prioritizing flexibility, permission to experiment, careful communication, and systematic employee feedback helps leaders navigate unrest and strengthen team resilience. Cross-national interviews with managers and team members reveal interconnected dynamics that shape worker responses and require empathetic, adaptable leadership.

Read at MIT Sloan Management Review