Big Sis Briefing: Calm in the Corporate Storm
More and more it feels like your corporate life can turn upside down in a moment.
One week you are in a stable role, the next you are reading about your company in the national papers before your own manager has been briefed.
Mergers, acquisitions, leadership shake-ups, restructures and redundancies. These moments have a way of testing everyone’s resilience.
One of the wildest years of my career included two separate rounds of redundancies, major executive team exits and national press interest and opinions clouding the office and adding fuel to the rumour mill fire. It was a lot.
I was on the legal team, which meant I was not just watching it unfold, I was helping facilitate a lot of it. It was some of the hardest work I have ever done. I sat in meetings knowing colleagues were on a list that might mean they would not be here in a matter of weeks. I would see names, have conversations with people in the hallway and carry that quiet knowledge. All while wondering about my own position as the business shifted around me.
At the same time, news about the company was breaking externally before we had the chance to hear it internally. Every day felt like another unknown. There were rumours, speculation and gossip. It was easy to get caught up in it. I learned very quickly (and the hard way) that staying out of the noise was the only way to protect my focus and energy.
In times like this, lawyers have a skillset that can make a real difference. We are trained to deal with high-stakes situations, sift through facts and make calm, considered decisions even when pressure is high. Those same attributes can anchor you when the corporate waters turn rough.
This is not just about keeping yourself steady. It is about showing leadership, no matter your title. When people see that you are composed and grounded, it has a ripple effect. It reassures your team. It shows you are thinking clearly. It also protects your reputation for professionalism in a moment when others might let panic take over.
The reality is that corporate change will happen.
Sometimes it will be strategic, sometimes it will be chaotic (okay, mostly it’s chaotic).
You cannot always control the events, but you can control how you show up in them.
The more you can stay present, resist the pull of speculation and focus on the work in front of you, the stronger you will come out the other side.
Mel
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