Decision Making During a Crisis Requires Emotional Intelligence

Do you ever feel like you're constantly bombarded by one crisis after another with no end in sight? I know I do. My newsfeed is an endless stream of one catastrophe after another. Civil unrest, natural disasters, terror attacks, increased crime levels... When will it end? Can't we go back to the good old days when we dealt with one crisis at a time?

Apparently, the good old days are long gone. This escalating cycle of crises has caught the attention of many in the security industry, to the extent that terms like "omnicrisis" and "permacatasrophe" have been coined. Something is driving this constant wave of crises, and I'm sure many of you already know what it is.

One contributing factor is our ability, as inhabitants of planet Earth, to access information and communicate rapidly. Information sharing has always been a driving force in changing cultures, industries, political landscapes, and regrettably, even leading to terror attacks and full-scale warfare. The days when we could logically process information seem to have disappeared, as people are constantly exposed to unimaginable violence.

Along with the continuous flow of distressing news has come an inability to make decisions rationally. In the past, incidents would unfold, followed by discussions among different groups to mitigate biases and consider alternative responses. Today, it seems that people jump directly from consuming information to extreme, knee-jerk reactions. There's no time between crises to deliberate, strategize, and respond appropriately.

Interestingly, I came to realize the problem not by analyzing my colleagues in the security and government agency decision-making roles but by observing my children. The impact of screen time and constant scrolling on their daily decision-making abilities was disheartening. I witnessed their struggle with simple tasks and their inability to make decisions without swift emotional escalation. They were experiencing unwarranted mental distress, and it was closely linked to how their brains were being trained to process information.

My kids are gamers. Before you judge, gaming is not their sole activity and we limit their screen time and access to violent games. However, gaming immerses them in visually exciting and often virtually perilous situations, triggering the fight, flight, or freeze response. Unfortunately, their brains often can't differentiate between reality and fantasy, leading to the release of chemicals like adrenaline, cortisol, testosterone, and dopamine, while the frontal lobe of their brain shuts down, with the amygdala taking control.

When the brain experiences consistent stress without balanced chemical releases, it adapts to respond to crises (and sometimes everyday situations) without logic and reason. The same is happening to millions of people worldwide who are constantly bombarded by one crisis after another. We're trapped in a perpetual state of stress, which impairs our emotional intelligence when making decisions. This is why we see a surge in the spread of fake news and misinformation without proper fact-checking. People consume information and react instead of pausing to evaluate its accuracy, exacerbating threats and compounding crises.

You may have witnessed individuals taking to the streets to defend heinous actions by terror groups. Often the individual supporting the terror group comes from a demographic that the terorrists have vowed to destroy. When these protesters are questioned about their motives, they struggle to articulate the basics of their cause with factual information. Logic and reason give way to an instinctive response, and the question of "why are you doing this" is met with an evasive answer or silence.

You might assume that this issue is not widespread or primarily affects the younger generation, but if you pay attention to the world around you, you'll realize that it's not limited to any specific group. People from all walks of life are making poor decisions in crisis situations, including high-level decision-makers in governments and commercial sectors who more often, seem to be reacting impulsively. Planning ahead and anticipating threats are at an all-time low due to the continuous stream of crises.

The most intriguing aspect of this constant crisis state is that it's perpetuated by poor decision-making and misinformation. As influential decision-makers continue to react without emotional intelligence, crises will persist and compound. It becomes increasingly challenging to get ahead of the situation and respond with a well-planned, intentional course of action.

There are measures we can take to break free from this destructive cycle of omni-crisis. The first step is to address our mental health and our capacity to process information logically. Organizations responsible for crisis management need to invest time in decision-making and leadership training for their employees. Table-top exercises and stress inoculation training are excellent ways to assess one’s ability to respond to crises with emotional intelligence. By exposing individuals to fearful situations and teaching them how to respond, we enhance their resilience. While emotional responses come naturally to most people, logic often needs to be taught.

We are currently experiencing unprecedented change due to our access to technology and information, and we must adapt in order to survive. People all over the world rely on leaders who can respond logically and, when done correctly, prevent crises from occurring. We don't want to become emotionless robots, but we need to strike a balance. Train yourself to be well-rounded and work hard to make informed decisions.

To start, pause…count to ten…then formulate a logical response.

Peter L Morton CPP

I am the Principal Consultant at Morton Executive Decisions, and a seasoned analytical intelligence and security consultant with 20+ years of experience in government, commercial, and non-profit security. I started my career in early 2001 as a US Army enlisted infantry Soldier, eventually commissioning as an Intelligence Officer. After sixteen years of service, I transitioned to corporate security where I worked for ten years with large security and intelligence teams at Amazon, JP Morgan, and General Dynamics. My success in both the government and commercial sectors has culminated in my ability to currently do what I love the most. Working as an independent consultant with humanitarians globally to ensure aid gets to the riskiest regions in the world.