425 - Everything is Fine (Until It Isn't) – What NGOs Can Learn from Crisis Leadership

In a moment shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, social media and AI-driven information flows, crisis leadership depends on much more than a communications plan. In this episode, Michele Crymes of CIPE speaks with crisis communications adviser Ellen Barry about how organizations can prepare before pressure hits, build trust with stakeholders and communicate honestly when answers are incomplete. Barry emphasizes that relationships with NGOs, regulators, journalists and communities must be built before a crisis, not during one. The conversation also highlights the importance of clear decision-making, credible local information, empathy and values-based leadership. The central takeaway: technology may accelerate access to information, but resilient leadership still begins with people. For more than 30 years, Ellen Barry has provided strategic advice to C-Suite members and Boards of Directors navigating crises ranging from cyberattacks to natural disasters to financial malfeasance. Working both in-house for Fortune 20 companies and with global consultancies, she has provided high-level crisis counsel, CEO advisory, financial and corporate messaging, employee communications, and community, investor and government relations. Her work has included NGO outreach, non-profit management, and communications leadership of teams throughout the world for both corporate and private entities. Barry holds a degree from Georgetown University and is a guest lecturer at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Eluna, a non-profit helping those navigating childhood bereavement and family addiction. Born and raised in Canada, she's lived and worked throughout the US and Western Europe and currently resides in Southern California.