The Power of "Vibes" in Your Crisis Comms & Leadership

There’s an aspect of your crisis communication and crisis leadership success that is wildly important and yet rarely ever mentioned or discussed — if at all.

So, of course, we’re going to start talking about it!

What is this highly important, often neglected piece of successful crisis comms and crisis leadership, you ask?

It’s the power of “vibes.”

Recently, The New York Times dubbed the ongoing US election a “vibes election,” with these said vibes drastically changing when President Biden stepped out of the race and Kamala Harris stepped in.

But what exactly are vibes, and why am I talking about them here and now?

What Are Vibes?

Vibes are the intangible energy you feel in a space or around a person. In other words, vibes are energy (and they’re something I’m psyched to explore further with you over the coming weeks and months!).

Whether consciously or unconsciously, you know them well.

They’re that immediate gut feeling when you enter a room, the unspoken aura that surrounds a situation.

New York City is a great example because every neighborhood within the city has its own distinct vibe—a unique energy that you can sense even without consciously being aware of it. This energy is a reflection of the environment, the people, and the circumstances, all converging to create a specific atmosphere.

In fact, in NYC these vibes are so potent that you can walk through the streets of New York blindfolded (which is not a great idea, but just go with me for a moment), and sense when you’ve crossed from one neighborhood or burrow into another, even without reading the street signs.

Vacationer’s tip: This, minus the blindfold, is actually a fun exercise to do in NYC because the energy here is so vibrant and so palpable!

What do vibes have to do with crisis comms and crisis leadership?

In crisis communication and crisis leadership, understanding (and mastering) this concept of energy or “vibes” is critical. It goes beyond the words spoken, beyond the body language observed, and, as always, is supported by the actions taken.

Let’s consider the impact of “vibes” in the political arena.

Historically, the way people feel about a leader significantly influences their standing in the polls.

This isn’t just about qualifications or policy positions—it’s about the emotional connection between the leader and the public. For example, many attributed George W. Bush’s electoral success to the fact that 57% of undecided voters felt they’d rather have a beer with him than with his opponent.

Bush gave the “vibe” that he’d be a chill person to hang with, increasing his likability, and helping to influence his overall success.

Similarly, during the 2016 election, many voters favored Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton not necessarily based on policies, but because of the “vibe” they perceived.

Connecting the dots

Vibes are energy.

Energy is a felt sense, just like emotions — and if you’ve been following Crisis Ready for some time, you’re fully aware that emotion is one of the most important aspects to understand about crisis communication and crisis leadership if you want to be successful.

What is emotion?

Emotion is energy in motion.

It all works together and I’m excited to dive deeper into helping you master this next-level aspect of your crisis communication and crisis leadership skills through further explorations of this concept over the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, I want to leave you with this actionable question to ponder:

How do “vibes” influence you on a daily basis?

Developing a conscious awareness of “vibes” — how they influence and impact you, and how yours might influence and impact others — offers a big first step in being able to bring the right “vibes” to your crisis comms and your crisis leadership endeavors.?

Interested in deepening your skills?

The next round of our 10-week crisis comms course kicks off in September and there are several seats left. This course delivers next-level crisis communication and crisis leadership learnings, helping you expand your capacity and skills both personally and professionally.

If you’d like to learn more, click here.

This article was originally published by Crisis Ready Institute.