Crisis as Catalyst: Leading Through Unplanned Disruption with Clarity

Wola Joseph-Condotti

February 24, 2026

We have all seen the perfectly crafted strategy documents, annual work plans, multi-phase projections. But if leadership has taught me anything, it is this: the real test of leadership begins the moment those plans fall apart.

Crises do not come announced

They do not ask for your permission or wait until your calendar is clear. They show up uninvited (personally, professionally, or globally) and demand a response. And in that moment, what rises to the surface is not just our competence, but our character.

When Control Cracks

Whether it is a sudden industry shake-up, an organisational breach, a reputational crisis, or a deeply personal loss disruption has a way of revealing the soul of a leader.

I have had seasons where all the data pointed one way, and then life turned sharply in another direction. Moments when the project unravelled, the stakeholder pulled out, or the unexpected happened in my family. And in those moments, the ability to pivot was more valuable than the ability to predict.

It is in crisis that clarity becomes currency. Not clarity of outcomes as you often will not have that. But clarity of values. Clarity of focus. Clarity of voice.

Leadership in the Fire

There is a powerful story in Daniel chapter 3, the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Hebrew men thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to societal pressure.

They did not know whether God would save them. But their leadership moment was not in the miracle. it was in their conviction. Crisis did not shape their faith; it revealed it. In the same way, a crisis does not make you a leader. it reveals the one you already are.

Do you freeze or frame the moment with wisdom? Do you hoard power or decentralise it for faster response? Do you communicate with transparency or hide behind silence?

These are not easy decisions. But they are what separate reactive managers from adaptive leaders.

From Breakdown to Breakthrough

Some of the most defining innovations and restructurings in my career have not come from clarity, they came from chaos.

But looking back, those disruptions became divine disruptions. What looked like a breakdown became the seed of a breakthrough. Crisis forces us to ask different questions: What truly matters now? What do I need to release? What new strength is being developed in me through this pressure?

When answered with humility, these questions do not just rescue a situation. They reposition you for purpose.

Pressure as Refinement

Crisis is a crucible. It purifies, distills, clarifies. And if we let it, it can produce a more grounded, resilient version of ourselves.

As leaders (especially as women leaders) we are often expected to show up composed, capable, and in control. But real strength is not in never being shaken. It is in being shaken and still standing.

When you lead through loss, fatigue, or disruption, you discover a different kind of power: Not just executive strength, but spiritual stamina.

And that kind of power multiplies. It teaches your team how to lead with courage, how to confront fear, how to navigate ambiguity with grace.

Final Thoughts

Crises are not just interruptions. They can be invitations to evolve. They strip away pretense. They surface values. And they usher in a level of clarity that no spreadsheet ever could.

To every woman leading in uncertain waters: Do not rush through your crisis just to get back to “normal.” Let it teach you. Let it grow you. Let it recalibrate what truly matters.

Because the most trusted leaders are not those who have never been tested but those who have been tested and emerged wiser, deeper, and clearer.

You will not always get to choose your crisis. But you always get to choose your response. And sometimes, in that response, a new kind of leader is born.

Wola Joseph-Condotti is the CEO of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC). She is a Harvard-trained lawyer and passionate advocate for faith-driven leadership, gender equity, and energy transition in Africa, she writes from the intersection of power, purpose, and personal growth.