Entrepreneur and public relations strategist Curt Mercadante highlighted the deep connection between personal resilience and effective crisis communications.

“The same principles that make you physically and mentally resilient are the ones that make you resilient in crisis communications,” Mercadante wrote in a LinkedIn post. “If you can’t control your own physiology—your breathing, your reactions, your ability to think under fire—you can’t lead through a storm.”

Reflecting on one of his first major PR projects, Mercadante recounted handling a hidden crisis involving mercury leaks from old indoor gas meters. As the story exploded across the evening news, he saw firsthand that those who stayed calm under pressure were the ones who could think strategically, communicate clearly, and lead effectively. He draws a direct line between crisis leadership and the physiological practices of resilience, emphasizing that managing communications during a crisis is like “playing chess while the room is on fire.” His core message is that resilience is not separate from communications work but the foundation of it.

Curt Mercadante is an agency owner, speaker, and coach who helps entrepreneurs and organizations build resilient brands and leadership strategies. He is the co-founder of Accelerate Media Labs and Pipeline Media Agency, and author of Five Pillars of the Freedom Lifestyle.