Body language must back up words in times of crisis
Last year former Marriott International chief executive Arne Sorenson, who died in February, spoke about the challenges the hotel chain faced as a result of Covid-19.
The company posted a six-minute YouTube video of the speech to Marriott employees, shareholders, and customers. As he spoke, Sorensen became visibly emotional when describing the impact of the pandemic on the hotel chain’s staff.
Towards the end of the speech he choked back tears when he said: ‘‘I can tell you that I have never had a more difficult moment than this one. There is simply nothing worse than telling highly valued associates – people who are the very heart of this company – that their roles are being impacted by events completely outside their control.’’
Sorensen was widely praised for his performance and the video quickly attracted thousands of views. The speech raises important questions for many leaders when managing a crisis. Should they express emotions when communicating during a crisis? When can expressing emotions help an organisation at these times? Is there also a risk to expressing emotions when a leader is a spokesperson during a crisis?
Two emotions leaders typically feel on these occasions are anger and sadness.
Anger can be generated when another organisation or person is responsible for the situation. A good example of experiencing this emotion is the way Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed anger over rule-breakers who were responsible for a recent cluster of Covid-19 cases in Auckland.
Sadness results from sympathy towards the victims, who might have experienced anything from financial harm to physical injury. Sorenson’s staff were hurt financially by Covid-19 through no fault of their own; Ardern faced another crisis when the volcano eruption at Whakaari/White Island inflicted death and injury.
When a leader is communicating as a spokesperson during a crisis, it is important that his or her words are consistent with the body language. It is not enough for the words to express the emotions on their own.
Audiences will be asking themselves if they trust this person. For example, is the leader truly angry at the individual or organisation responsible for the crisis? Is he or she displaying sincere empathy towards the victims?
When the spokesperson’s words match his or her body language, the message is viewed as more credible by the public. This occurs because people are more likely to believe that the leader is communicating his or her true feelings about the crisis.
An example of a chief executive who did not demonstrate consistency between words and emotions is Oscar Munoz, the chief executive of United Airlines.
In 2017 the company was facing a major crisis as a result of the forceful removal of a passenger from an overbooked flight. Disturbing images from the incident went viral when other passengers shared video footage on social media.
In Munoz’s first interview on a major American television network, he did not show any emotions when talking about his shame and embarrassment at the way the passenger was taken off the aircraft.
Munoz spoke in a monotone, and his body language stayed the same throughout most of the interview. He also paused for a couple of seconds before responding, when asked whether the passenger bore any responsibility for what had happened.
Munoz eventually said that the passenger wasn’t at fault, but his performance during the interview raised questions over whether he truly felt the shame and embarrassment he claimed.
Expressing emotions during a crisis can enhance the credibility of a spokesperson and help an organisation manage a crisis. However, a leader losing composure during a crisis can also hurt an organisation.
When a leader expresses sadness and anger, there is a difference between tearing up and sobbing, as well as raising one’s voice versus screaming.
Loss of composure can raise serious questions among the public about whether that leader can successfully manage a crisis. Striking the right balance in expressing emotions during a crisis can be a challenge due to the enormous amount of pressure a leader is under.
However, Sorenson is an example of someone who found the right balance.
There is a difference between tearing up and sobbing, as well as raising one’s voice versus screaming.