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Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - Your Calm Command: Lead the Emergency, Save Your Energy

Steven Claes – The A+ Introvert - Your Calm Command: Lead the Emergency, Save Your Energy

How to steer through crisis without draining your social battery

Steven Claes
August 16, 2025 • Reading Time: 6 minutes

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Hey there friend!

Friday. Payday. 4:06 p.m.

You just saw the first “Where’s my paycheck?” ping.

Your heart raced.

You want to answer everyone at once, old you would have.

But what if two quiet minutes could calm the room and save your energy?

Why this matters: Introverts often carry crises in silence, but that calm focus can become your strongest leadership tool.

Today’s Focus

Why crisis feels louder for introverts (turn your quiet strength into an advantage)
The C.A.L.M. Loop: Three steps you can run in five minutes
A pocket script: One template that fits every update
A 5-day practice plan : How to make it second nature by Friday

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Why Crisis Feels Louder To Us

In a crisis, the loudest voice often gets the mic.

Leadership is about direction, not volume.

We introverts can slow the moment, stick to the facts, and choose the next right action.

Our trap is overexposure, trying to join every chat until the battery dies.

The fix is simple structure: facts, roles, cadence.

Psychological safety also helps (article).

Teams speak up faster when they feel safe to share risks, which speeds problem solving (article).

Heart racing? Try a quick 5-4-3-2-1 grounding; name five things you see, four you hear, three you touch, two you smell, one you taste. Two minutes, no app needed (article).

The C.A.L.M. Method (3 steps, ≈5 minutes)

Step	What to do	Impact
^{Center, Contain}	^{Mute non-critical channels (60 sec)}	^{Clarity so you can think straight}
^{Assess & Assign}	_{State one-line status and top risk. Assign Owner, Fixer, Comms (2 min)}	^{Clear roles speed action}
^{Mark Cadence}	^{Post next update (60 sec)}	^{Predictable rhythm calms everyone}

Result: Less noise. More clarity. Faster resolution

Pocket script:

Copy into chat or email. Paste it and press send:

“Status: [one-sentence update]. Roles: Owner [Name], Fixer [Name], Comms [Name]. Next at: [HH:MM]. Blockers, Comms only.”

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Quiet Fuel of the Week

Resource	What It Is	Why You Need It
^Tool	^{Crisis One-Pager (Introvert Edition).}^{One sheet for facts, roles and updates.}	^{Calms your team in minutes}
^Read	^{Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less}^{- by Joseph McCormack}	^{How saying less makes more impact}
^Watch	^{HBR IdeaCast - Susan Cain: The Power of the Introvert in Your Office:}^{episode link}	^{Why introverts shine when they speak less and listen more.}

Resource

What It Is

Why You Need It

^Tool

^{Crisis One-Pager (Introvert Edition).}^{One sheet for facts, roles and updates.}

^{Calms your team in minutes}

^Read

^{Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less}^{- by Joseph McCormack}

^{How saying less makes more impact}

^Watch

^{HBR IdeaCast - Susan Cain: The Power of the Introvert in Your Office:}^{episode link}

^{Why introverts shine when they speak less and listen more.}

Your 5-Day Challenge

Monday: Download and share the Crisis One-Pager template with your team or others.

Tuesday: Run a 5-min C.A.L.M. drill (low-stakes scenario). Assign roles, post your pocket-script. Debrief 5 min.

Wednesday: Test your pocket script in a calm update, then refine it.

Thursday: Set a live update cadence, every 20–30 min until resolution.

Friday: Hold a mini-retro: keep what worked / drop what didn’t / plan next.

What to watch for:
• Fewer random pings
• Calmer updates
• Faster next steps

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Coming Next Week

Social Battery Reset Kit
Fast recharge, zero drama; 2, 5, and 10-minute rituals you can run anywhere. Includes a printable cheat sheet and a no-talk status line you can copy-paste.

Final Thought

Crisis leadership is not about noise.

It’s about clarity.

Protect your energy.

State what’s true.

Give three people clear jobs.

Show up on time with the next update.

Calm spreads. So does clarity.

Your turn: If a crisis hit now, what would your first message say?

Reply with one line. I read every response.

— Steven

P.S. Know a manager who mistakes panic for “urgency”? Forward this. Urgency does not need theatrics.

P.P.S. Want daily insights on leading as an introvert? Click here to connect with me directly.

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