150 Lessons from the Pentagon: Commanding Our Chaos with Angela Billings

Mindfulness Manufacturing

Are you ready to handle a crisis at your manufacturing plant? Find out in this episode, which is all about crisis communication and how to lead under pressure.

This episode’s guest in Angela Billings, a seasoned strategic communication with over 20 years of experience in the Air Force—including during September 11th, when she was stationed at the Pentagon. She is also the author of Command the Crisis: Navigate Chaos with Battle-Tested Public Relations and Communication Strategies. Angela shares gripping stories from her career and firsthand experience at the Pentagon, plus offers practical lessons for proactive crisis planning, from establishing clear communications to empowering your team members. Whether you’re on the shop floor or in the C-suite, this is your chance to learn the skills you need to confidently navigate a crisis.

1:00 – In any field, you need to anticipate crisis and be prepared to manage and own them 6:46 – Having a chain of command and clear communication channels are crucial for effective crisis management 9:12 –The proactive connection of supervisory teams is essential to crisis management 10:14 – To prepare, do tabletop exercises to act out likely and worst-case scenarios 12:04 – All employees should act as ambassadors for their organization 15:05 – Media training can be a strong tool for employees at all levels, not just executives 16:03 – To safeguard your brand, own your stories 17:32 – Even everyday issues need transparent communications 19:30 – Consider the role of public communications channels 21:21 – Apply the same urgency to communications that you do to everyday production challenges on the floor

Connect with Angela Billings Visit her website Learn more about Command the Crisis Find her on LinkedIn