Commentary From Crisis Management Expert Edward Segal, Bestselling Author of the Award- Winning Book "Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies " (Nicholas Brealey)

President Joe Biden explained to reporters last week that his recent statement in Warsaw, Poland about removing Russian President Vladimir Putin from power was his personal opinion—and not his administration's official policy. Biden emphasized that he would not retract his remarks.

'Not Walking Anything Back'

"I'm not walking anything back," he said. "The fact of the matter is I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing, and the actions of this man — just — just the brutality of it. 

"I want to make it clear: I wasn't then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it.

"It's ridiculous," Biden observed. "Nobody believes I was talking about taking down Putin. Nobody believes that."

Expressing Personal Outrage

"I was expressing my outrage that he shouldn't remain in power," he said, "just like you know that bad people shouldn't continue to do bad things. "I was expressing my outrage at the behavior of this man," Biden said, calling the Russian president's behavior 'outrageous' and that his comments about him were "more an aspiration than anything."

Creating Controversy

The fact that Biden did not make that important distinction during his speech in Warsaw, Poland, led many to believe that the U.S. had changed its goals and strategies for dealing with Russia and created another crisis for his administration.

Just like his original remarks; Biden clarification today created another round of international headlines.

Distinguishing The Difference

Business leaders should take note of the need to carefully separate —and underscore the differences between their personal views about any topic and the policies of their employers—especially on controversial matters. Otherwise, they could create a crisis for their companies or organizations.

Leadership Burden

Juan Dominguez is the CEO of The Dominguez Firm. He said that "It's the burden of leaders of a certain stature to have their personal opinions confused with that of official policy. It's because their name is strongly associated with their position or the organization they are leading.

"As far as the public is concerned, there is little distinction between what a leader says out of their capacity as a leader and what they say as their personal opinion. It is for this reason that leaders who go 'off-script' often become PR nightmares.

"When you find yourself in a position of leadership, it's inevitable that you have to sacrifice some liberties in your own speech so that you can protect the integrity of the organization you are representing. As the leader of a fairly large firm that carries my name, I feel the burden of that responsibility every day," he said.

Separate Personal Opinions

Chandra Gore, a publicist at Chandra Gore Consulting, said "I always advise my client to remember they are a business leader and they should separate their personal opinions when speaking on behalf of a company.

"Not understanding this boundary can create a crisis for an organization that they may not be able to recover from. The individual must state that whatever the opinion they are sharing is that of their own with no mention of the company they are employed by,'' she cautioned.

Different Approaches

Isaac Tebbs is head of growth at Millions Visa Card, where he said members of their executive team have had training on this topic. He said that the approaches organizations take, "will vary depending on the nature of the business and the industry in which it operates. where he said their executives have received training on this important topic.

Tebbs said business leaders should consider taking the following steps to help avoid this type of crisis:

• Keep social media accounts private and take a moment to think before sending controversial emails.
• Be mindful of the potential implications of their statements.
• Be clear about when they are speaking as individuals and when they are speaking on behalf of the company.
• Make sure their personal views do not contradict the official positions of the organization.

Responding To A Crisis

'Can Be Difficult'

Tebbs observed, however, that, "When company officials' personal opinions are reported by the media to be the official positions of their employers, it can be difficult to know what steps to take to manage the crisis.

"In some cases, it may be necessary for the company to issue a formal statement clarifying the official position of the organization and disassociating it from the personal views of the officials in question.

"In other cases, it may be more effective for the company to simply allow the officials to speak for themselves and address any questions or concerns that may arise. In extreme cases, suspension or dismissal of the company official may be needed. Ultimately, the approach that a company takes in these situations will depend on the specific situation and the nature of the crisis," he concluded.

'Issue A Statement'

Gore at Chandra Gore Consulting, advised that "The company should issue a statement fully showing their stance on the matter and also reiterating that any opinions shared are that of the employee.

"Companies should also have protocols in place to protect themselves from the opinions of their employees. Employees should also have signed an agreement to ensure that are aware of the company's stance on public opinions and the separation of the individual and the company,'' she said.

Congruence

Australian PR expert and former broadcast journalist Tony Nicholls counseled that "One of the central tenets of handling a media crisis is congruence. If your external messaging isn't matched by internal action, you're setting yourself up for a bigger crisis than the issue of the day, you're setting yourself up for essential mistrust of your brand."

"The steps that business leaders should take include publishing disclaimers on social media accounts and proactively developing a crisis media plan that takes this situation into account.

"If personal positions are mistakenly reported by the media to be official statements, companies should enact their crisis media plan and follow through by accepting a problem exists, apologizing for it, talking about what will change, and offering material support if needed," he commented.

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