# Leading through the spotlight

> Three executives who faced public crises share how to stay focused on your mission when everyone is watching.
- Title: Leading through the spotlight · Harvard Business Review
- Summary: Three executives who faced public crises share how to stay focused on your mission when everyone is watching. Executives facing public crises should build…
- Keywords: leadership, crisis management, gareth southgate, tim davie, minouche shafik, executive decision-making, public scrutiny, business, management, Leading, through, spotlight
- Source: Harvard Business Review — https://hbr.org/2026/10/how-to-lead-when-everyone-is-watching
- Author: Adi Ignatius
- Published: 2026-10-08T18:15:52+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: leadership, crisis management, gareth southgate, tim davie, minouche shafik, executive decision-making, public scrutiny, business, management
## Three leaders under fire
Gareth Southgate managed England's men's senior team for eight years, winning more major tournament games than any other England manager.Tim Davie led BBC's digital transformation before resigning following allegations of editorial bias.
## Build a world-class team
Assemble strong people from the start of your tenure because it's hard to build a team once things get intense.Tim Davie says there's a difference between good and world class.

> There's a difference between 'good' and 'world class'. In a crisis, you need world class.
## Avoid social media
Don't read coverage of how you're handling the crisis.Have your team give you a daily summary instead, but stay away from the actual content, much of which will be toxic and often produced by bots.
## Establish routines
Develop a decision-making process to sustain the organization as the crisis drags on. Hold daily meetings with consistent agendas. Rotate responsibilities and share information so that one shift can smoothly hand off to the next.
## Reflect and seek counsel
Find quiet time to work out your deepest thoughts on the issue at hand.Talk to people you trust in private to get additional points of view.
## Stay visible and resilient
Avoid barricading yourself in private conference rooms. Continue your normal life as fully as possible to keep a sense of balance. Practice self-care including sufficient exercise and sleep to handle the pressure.
## Take time before acting
Resist the urge to take immediate action if you don't need to.Take time to gather as much information as possible before issuing a statement or making a critical decision.

> Some problems can't be solved in the moment. They just have to be endured.
## Keep perspective
You can't please everyone. Be willing to accept criticism that's constructive and try to ignore purely emotional attacks. At the end of the day, you can only do your best.
## Key takeaway

Executives facing public crises should build strong teams, avoid social media, establish routines, reflect privately, and stay focused on their organization's mission rather than public opinion.