How to Empower Leaders to Embrace a ‘Crisitunity’ Mindset in Volatile Times

Geopolitical shifts, evolving regulations, supply chain disruptions, and emerging tech—if you’re in finance, these challenges are likely at the top of your mind. But while today’s market feels volatile, it can also be an opportunity.

Leaders who thrive in uncertainty embrace resilience, strategic thinking, and crisis management. You can develop a ‘crisitunity’ mindset by reframing every challenge as an opportunity. This term combines ‘crisis’ and ‘opportunity’ to describe seeing potential advantages in difficult situations. Here’s what you need to know.

The Dual Nature of Crises

Struggling to see how any hardship could be reframed as an opportunity? It’s always easier to see the dual nature of a crisis when glimpsing in the rearview mirror.

Take the COVID-19 pandemic—an undeniably challenging time. Yet, many firms used it to accelerate digital transformation, adapting to remote work and reaping long-term benefits. Or look at Netflix. When DVDs became obsolete, Blockbuster struggled, but Netflix pivoted to streaming and became a global powerhouse.

In more recent history, the rise of AI has disrupted many industries, but those who adapt quickly and harness its power find opportunities where many others only see adversity. As a Deloitte 2025 outlook report noted, while some firms use AI to a small degree for efficiency, the more opportunistic ones leverage it to drive sales and distribution, analyze portfolios, and make recommendations.

How to Train Leaders for Crisis

Crisis-ready leaders have a growth mindset built on resilience, adaptability, and strategy, which allows them to pivot quickly in the face of regulatory shifts or cybersecurity threats. But these skills aren’t learned overnight—they need to be developed in advance.

One effective way to do this? Implement corporate training programs that incorporate agile methodologies or turmoil simulations, like data breaches or market downturns. These exercises help uncover strengths and areas for development—whether it’s decision-making under pressure or emotional intelligence—so you can tailor training to sharpen your skills before adversity hits.

How to Build a Supportive Growth–Focused Culture

A growth mindset isn’t just crucial for leaders but for entire teams to adapt and thrive during hardship. Without it, the ‘crisitunity’ approach can’t take hold.

Start by shifting how your team views risk. Instead of seeing it as reckless, encourage calculated risks that drive innovation. Teams should also feel empowered to communicate openly and collaborate with leaders, not just follow orders. To make this happen, leaders need high emotional intelligence and strong communication skills.

Building this culture can be challenging, especially in large, diverse teams, but the payoff will be significant when crises arise.

How to Measure Success and Learn from Failures

As you build a more resilient, ‘crisitunity’-focused leadership team, it’s crucial to keep track of your teams’ growth, setbacks, and wins, adjusting strategies as needed. Set clear metrics for evaluating leadership effectiveness—before crises hit. This could mean assessing performance during simulated downturn scenarios or gathering feedback from your team.

A continuous improvement mindset like this has been key to the success of companies like Toyota. According to Harvard Business Review, Toyota’s ability to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic—while other automakers struggled with supply chain issues—was due to its focus on learning and continuous improvement, starting right on the frontlines. The entire team monitors processes for issues and then rapidly solves them, resulting in continual improvement.

The Bottom Line

Equip your organization with leaders who can turn crises into opportunities, ensuring resilience and growth even in the most unpredictable market conditions. Start by assessing your current leadership development programs and implementing the abovementioned strategies.

Looking for more support in developing your team to stay ahead? Arootah Leadership Development Trainings can help you. Schedule a complimentary strategy call today to learn more!