The 'Pause' After a Crisis: A Leader's Guide to Emotional Recovery

When a crisis hits a school community, the emotional recovery is often the most challenging part. In this episode, we speak with Azra Pathan, the Director of Learning at The International School of Kuala Lumpur, about the vital work of healing after a crisis. Azra discusses why a leader's calm demeanor is their most important tool, how to help a community process grief and loss, and the power of building psychological safety to prepare for the unexpected.

💬 Quotes from the Episode:

🗣️ "We want to make sure that... we are united in that. And, you know, the first lesson I ever learned was from a PR person, and they said, 'In the absence of information, people will make up their own story.'"

🧠 "Learning doesn't happen without that [safety]. And so jumping quickly into business as usual without the rebuilding really hinders people's abilities to move forward from whatever it is that you're recovering from."

💡 "I don't think we've gotten better at it. I think we've just learned to compartmentalize it and kind of move forward with it. The unfortunate thing about that is that it shows up in different places, in different settings, and in different contexts, and then we're surprised by it."

💖 "The one strategy that I speak about in the workshop is around dialectical thinking, like being able to frame your thinking and knowing that it's okay to hold multiple emotions at the same time."

📌 Key Insights:

⏸️ Embrace the Pause: The most critical step after a crisis is to create a deliberate "pause" to allow the community to process and grieve, rather than immediately rushing back to normal.

🛡️ Rebuild Safety First: Focus on rebuilding emotional and psychological safety within the school community before attempting to rebuild trust. A feeling of safety is a prerequisite for healing.

📣 Unify Your Message: Establish a single, reliable source for all official communications to prevent false narratives and misinformation from spreading.

✔️ Establish Proactive Protocols: Develop communication talking points, response systems, and resources for different age groups well before a crisis occurs to ensure a calm and unified reaction.

🧘 Model Self-Management: Leaders must demonstrate emotional self-awareness and practice dialectical thinking to manage their own emotions while supporting their team.

🛑 Conclusion: The human element of crisis response is not just a soft skill—it's a fundamental part of effective leadership. This episode is a powerful reminder that preparing for a crisis is only half the battle; the real work lies in guiding a community through the difficult path to recovery. Ready to take the next step in your leadership journey? Visit iss.edu/events to access our full library of professional learning opportunities and get the tools you need to lead with grace and confidence. Don't wait until you're in the moment—get prepared today! ✨