Crisis Management in CSR

When a CEO and Head of HR end up on a kiss cam, and it goes viral, you’ve got a PR crisis. By now, you probably know what's unfolding at Astronomer - where its CEO and Head of HR were caught on a kiss cam during a Coldplay concert. Some might say: it’s personal. Move on. But when leadership is involved, it raises questions about workplace dynamics, company values, and internal policies. Your employees are watching. And so is the public. What should a crisis comms team do right now? ➡️ Align with legal ASAP ➡️ Develop an internal comms plan ➡️ Prepare a holding statement for media  ➡️ Prepare key messaging for company's leadership ➡️ Monitor what people are saying both internally and externally 💡 A timely and thoughtful response can protect you and your company in the long run. And who knows, if played right, this may open doors to new conversations, and turn a viral moment into a longer-term opportunity for the company’s brand.

Climate Risk Management Maturity Model 🌎 The climate crisis poses both risks and opportunities for businesses across sectors. However, not all companies are at the same stage in their response. A structured maturity model helps organizations understand where they currently stand and what steps are needed to evolve their climate risk management. The model outlines four distinct stages of maturity: Observer, Navigator, Practitioner, and Champion. Each stage reflects increasing integration of climate considerations into business strategy, operations, and decision-making processes. At the Observer stage, climate risk is acknowledged as material, but no concrete actions have been taken. Businesses at this level remain highly vulnerable to both physical and transitional climate risks. The Navigator stage involves assessing exposure to climate risks and designing preliminary mitigation plans. Actions are often driven by compliance or public pressure, with a focus on identifying potential disruptions and aligning responses accordingly. Practitioner organizations take a more integrated approach. Climate risks and opportunities are embedded into strategic planning, stakeholder engagement is active, and internal tools and data are used to improve resilience and efficiency. At the Champion level, businesses adopt a forward-looking stance. Climate strategies are fully aligned with core operations, supported by innovation, decarbonization, and transparent participation in multi-stakeholder platforms. Progressing through the stages of this model enables companies to reduce risk, unlock strategic value, and demonstrate leadership in a rapidly evolving business environment shaped by climate change. Source: Deloitte #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #risks

The best communicators don’t just survive. They thrive under pressure. They’re not just resilient; they’re antifragile. What does that mean? They grow stronger with every challenge, critique, or unexpected curveball. That’s crucial because there is no such thing as a perfect talk, conversation, or presentation:  → You get a nasty question  → The tech doesn’t work → You are sleep-deprived → The audience looks at their phones and ignores you. What do you do? Training hundreds of CEOs, I always made sure they can excel in any situation, not just when the conditions are perfect. Because they never are. Here are 8 ways to become an antifragile communicator: 1️⃣ Embrace feedback as fuel: Every critique is an opportunity. Seek it out. It’s where growth begins. 2️⃣ Expect things to go wrong: No plan survives contact with the audience. Build mental flexibility. 3️⃣ Remember, don’t memorize: A rehearsed script lacks soul. Create an outline and remember key messages, opening & ending. 4️⃣ Be ready to speak without aids: Tech can fail. Train to deliver without mic, slides or notes. (It’s easy once you understand structures) 5️⃣ Prepare for tough questions: Every question, objection, and interruption is a chance to shine. 6️⃣ Strengthen your core message: Clarity is power. When you know your purpose and message inside out, you can handle anything thrown at you. 7️⃣ Learn bridging: The answer-bridge-communicate (ABC) method allows you to bring everything back to your message. 8️⃣ Speak from peak states: Harness your optimal emotional, mental, or physical state to make your communication more impactful, authentic, and engaging. The best communicators adapt to the moment. What’s your best tip to prepare for the unexpected? ♻️ Please share with your network & follow Oliver Aust for daily tips on leadership communication

BluSmart isn’t just a business failure. It’s a crisis comms failure. There’s a playbook for crisis. And “go silent” isn’t in it. BluSmart users found out the company had stopped operating in Bangalore… by scrolling through other users’ tweets. No official update. No press statement. No in-app notice. Nothing. Customers have money locked in BluSmart wallets. Many have mentally written it off. Because communication was so poor, they’ve assumed the worst. Meanwhile, the app still works - technically. But you can’t book rides. Or choose time slots. Or get clarity on refunds. And then there are the drivers. (BluSmart hired drivers directly) People on payroll. Families that relied on stable income. No word on what happens to them either. This isn’t about public perception. It’s about broken trust across users, team members, and investors. The thing is: When you create a communications void in a crisis, someone else fills it. And they won’t be kind. Crisis communications doesn’t mean spinning a story. It means showing up. Fast. Clearly. Consistently. Every brand may not go out of business during a crisis. But the ones that go silent? They lose the right to be trusted again. PS: PR can’t solve a business in crisis. But silence can destroy one faster.

One lesson I’ve learned working as a SOC analyst: if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen. In the middle of incidents, we’re busy — analyzing alerts, escalating tickets, checking logs. But when the dust settles, documentation is what makes all the difference. Here’s why clear documentation matters: Continuity: Another analyst should be able to pick up where you left off without confusion. Accountability: Well-written notes show exactly what was investigated and why. Improvement: Past incidents become future learning material when documented properly. Defense: In case of audits or legal reviews, documentation is evidence that the SOC took the right steps. A simple framework I use when documenting: What happened? (Alert summary) What was done? (Steps taken) What was found? (Evidence, results) What’s next? (Escalation, closure, lessons learned) Takeaway: Documentation isn’t “extra work.” It’s part of the defense strategy. Clear, structured notes protect the organization just as much as firewalls and SIEM rules. How do you approach documenting cases in your role? #CyberSecurity #SOC #Documentation #IncidentResponse #SoftSkills

In the aftermath of corporate scandals, we often hear a familiar refrain; "The board was either ignorant or complicit." But this oversimplification masks a deeper, more systemic issue in corporate governance. 🔍 The Reality is both— ➡️ Ignorance: Boards "asleep at the wheel," missing glaring red flags. ➡️ Complicity: Directors turning a blind eye to misconduct for personal gain or misplaced loyalty. But here's the truth. Neither is acceptable, and both stem from the same root causes. We need a paradigm shift in how we approach board responsibilities.  It's not enough to simply avoid being ignorant or complicit. We must actively cultivate: 1️⃣ Vigilance. Boards must develop robust systems for detecting and addressing issues early. 2️⃣ Ethical Leadership. Directors should set the tone from the top, fostering a culture of integrity. 3️⃣ Stakeholder Consideration. Decisions must balance the needs of all stakeholders, not just shareholders. 4️⃣ Continuous Learning.  Regular training and education on emerging risks and best practices. 5️⃣ Independence. Structures that allow and encourage board members to challenge management. The stakes are too high for anything less. Each corporate failure ripples through our economy, affecting workers, investors, and communities. By raising the bar for board performance, we can build more resilient, ethical, and successful companies. What steps have you seen work in improving board effectiveness? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. #CorporateGovernance #BoardAccountability #EthicalLeadership #BusinessEthics

The Gensol-BluSmart Saga: A Blueprint for Rebuilding Trust in India’s Corporate Ecosystem The collapse of Gensol Engineering and BluSmart Mobility isn’t just a corporate scandal—it’s a clarion call for systemic reform. With ₹978 crore in diverted loans, an 85% stock plunge, and 6,000+ EVs grounded, this case exposes critical gaps in governance. But within every crisis lies an opportunity to learn. Let’s transform lessons into action. The Problem: Governance Failures in Numbers ₹262 crore unaccounted: Funds meant for EVs diverted to luxury apartments (₹42.94 crore) and promoter-linked entities. 45% of Nifty 500 independent directors have promoter ties (SEBI, 2024), enabling unchecked decisions. 32% of large corporate loans (>₹100 crore) show fund diversion (RBI, 2024). Result: Investors lost ₹4,300 crore in market cap. Employees faced operational paralysis. Public trust eroded. The Solution: Two Innovations for Accountability and stronger corporate governance 1️⃣ Independent Directors Appointed by an Independent Body Issue: Promoter-influenced boards lack objectivity. Fix: A SEBI-regulated panel to allocate directors via sector expertise + randomized selection. Impact: Could have flagged Gensol’s ₹262 crore gap early. 2️⃣ Mandatory Nominee Directors for PSU Loans >₹100 Crore Issue: IREDA/PFC loans misused without oversight. Fix: Nominees with veto power to block suspicious spends (e.g., ₹50 crore routed to shell firms). Impact: IIM-A study shows nominee directors cut fraud by 27%. The Bigger Picture Investors: Lost ₹4,300 crore in market cap in Gensol. Employees: BluSmart’s operational collapse left thousands stranded. Public Trust: Every diverted rupee undermines India’s growth narrative. “Corporate governance is not a compliance exercise – it is the foundation of sustainable value creation.” Let’s transform this moment into a movement for stronger, ethical governance. 💼✨ Your thoughts? How can we collectively drive these reforms forward? ______________________________ CAGlobal - Corporate चाणक्य Professionals: Advocate for ethical frameworks, to embed governance into corporate DNA Integrity is everything, join us in ~50k growing entrepreneurs' community RisingIndia उभरता भारत

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫, 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞? It's a question investors, regulators, and even fellow founders are asking with growing concern. Recent headlines have highlighted a string of controversies - but the root causes go deeper than just “𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴.” Dr. Sadrita Deb and I studied some cases of corporate frauds and learnt that: 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Not that it is uncommon for larger corporations, but early-stage ventures often lack strong internal checks or independent boards. When boards don’t challenge founders, accountability weakens. 𝐈𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: FOMO leads some investors to chase growth, probably unrealistic targets, without digging deep. Private companies don’t face the same scrutiny as listed ones. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: Unrealistic growth expectations tend to push founders toward manipulation. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Sudden access to capital can test one's values and integrity. Mixing business recourses with personal gratification cannot be normalised. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 - 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢’𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘢𝘺 1. As we have highlighted earlier in our research (https://lnkd.in/dtPTuGV3), stronger corporate governance is a non-negotiable process to have in the first place. 𝘏𝘰𝘸, 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴? Your thoughts? #StartupGovernance #EthicsInBusiness #StartupIndia #Leadership #CorporateGovernance #Entrepreneurship #Finance #Research

🌍 Disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation strategies are increasingly urgent. To meet this challenge, the 𝐂𝐑𝐌-𝐍𝐛𝐒 Toolkit has been developed to help countries embed nature-based solutions. It brings together environmental knowledge, policy alignment, practical interventions, inclusive governance, and integrated planning. Through this approach, it provides a clear pathway for building resilience while safeguarding ecosystems and human well-being. 𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸. 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 1: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - Countries collect and compile data on environment, climate, hazards, and vulnerabilities to build a risk profile. - Using IPCC’s risk approach and Indigenous knowledge, the stocktake highlights where NbS can deliver the strongest impact. 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 2: 𝐍𝐛𝐒 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: - National plans and strategies are screened for NbS references through targeted keyword checks. - This process identifies entry points, exposes policy gaps, and ensures new NbS reinforce existing frameworks. 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 3: 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐛𝐒 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - The toolkit provides categories and options for selecting NbS tailored to hazards and ecosystems. - Selected measures balance risk reduction with co-benefits such as biodiversity, resilience, and livelihoods. 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 4: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 - Countries are supported to mobilize stakeholders across institutions, sectors, and governance levels. - It promotes transparent participation that empowers communities and ensures NbS are inclusive and fair. 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 5: 𝐍𝐛𝐒 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - Countries are guided to embed NbS within DRR strategies, adaptation plans, and cross-sector policies. - Global examples and templates illustrate how integration turns scattered efforts into coherent strategies. 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 - A checklist aligns the five tools in sequence to help countries track their progress. - It ensures a logical, stepwise approach that moves from risk profiling to policy integration. In essence, the CRM-NbS Toolkit is a structured pathway to mainstream nature-based solutions in #disaster and #climaterisk management. By moving from stocktake to integrated planning, countries can build resilience, safeguard ecosystems, and protect people’s well-being against climate change.