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Fear rewires leadership in the moments that matter most. 

We sit down with Melissa Agnes, keynote speaker, author of Crisis Ready, and a shaper of ISO 22361, to explore how leaders can move from survival mode to creation mode when the stakes are high. Melissa shares why so many teams cling to the concept of getting back to normal after disruption, and how that reflex can stall recovery when normal created the problem. Her antidote: embodied leadership, daily regulation, and a culture that turns readiness into a default, not a wish.

We dig into the science of fear and why your thoughts aren’t always trustworthy under stress. We talk about grief as a mix of loss, longing, and feeling lost—and how addressing grief openly builds trust and momentum. From co-regulating a room with a calm nervous system to designing four levels of safety—physical, emotional, psychological, operational—Melissa maps out practical steps any leader can use to stabilize teams.

Crisis readiness, as Melissa defines it, blends mindset, skill set, and organizational capabilities so you fall to strong training instead of weak habits. That means practicing vulnerability, clarifying values, and running honest after-action reviews that actually change how you operate. The result is a healthier culture and leaders who show up as whole people at work and at home.

Melissa Agnes is a speaker, the founder of Crisis Ready Institute and creator of the Crisis Ready® Certification, and is recognized as a Top 40 Thought Leader in Security & Life Safety (2025). She helped shape international crisis management standards as a panel member for ISO 22361 and is the author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World. You can connect with and learn more about Melissa on LinkedIn or Instagram.

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Producer / Editor: Neel Panji

Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity.

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