Crisis management - People's stories
#2. Me and the team first
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1st Step
Discover
Explore THEe PUZZLE framework
Intro
Deep dive
FAQ
2nd Step
Choose
Witness how others have used THEe PUZZLE and inspire yourself
People's story
Thoughts
3rd Step
Apply
1. Pick one Puzzle piece
2. Apply the tip
3. Follow up on progress & results
4. Acknowledge positive impact
5. Repeat
Deep dive
FAQ
Introduction - People's stories
All People's stories are written in the 1st person to reinforce their impact.
While anonymity is preserved, all stories are inspired by real facts.
People's stories are examples, to feed you with concrete cases of how THEe PUZZLE has been used. They are not to tell you what to think, or absolute truth: they were created with the intent to illustrate how you can transform your life with THEe PUZZLE.
Each People’s story is presented in the following way:
Part 1. The authentic life experience
Part 2. What that same moment could have been, leveraging THEe PUZZLE
Part 3. Decoding the story through the lens of THEe PUZZLE framework
Part 1 - Me and the team first
This crisis was worse than we could ever imagine! Systems were down, people in panic, media all over the place. Rumours too: the police was coming, we would all be interrogated, call your family now as they won’t let you afterwards… All sorts of nonsense!
But what pissed me off the most was that we had worked so hard to prevent this! For years we secured our IT systems. Hired experts, spent hundreds of millions on software, on training our employees… All this for that!!
Thinking about all that had to be done, what could have leaked, all the decisions I had to make – my brain was on fire! It was up to me and my team to solve this.
We had prepared ourselves for crises, but not of that magnitude! And certainly, nothing prepares you for the stress you live in the moment. It was pure fear in my veins, and thinking about all the consequences was not helping. All these scenarios, everything that could go wrong…
How naïve was I to think I could control such a complex environment. There were too many players. Too many scenarios. Too many unknowns.
Not to mention all the budget cuts. All the annoying meetings where I predicted this would happen and no one listened to me! All these big directors, having no clue what the risks were, and still taking the decisions.
And now it would be for me to take the fall?!
…I could see this happening big time! I had a good job, many wanted it. This was a gift to my adversaries. They would feast over my body!
Except that I am a survivor.
You don’t get to the position I am in if you don’t know how to play politics. I was a champion at that game. I was not going to go down. And certainly not alone.
The first decisions to make were to protect me and the team. I would not help solve this crisis unless I had guarantees. They needed us now: let’s make sure no one would forget we were the ones who could fix the situation.
Silence was also my best friend.
People talk too much.
I had no doubt one of my peers would say something I could use against them. Well put, I could even put the blame on one of them…
My mind was off the crisis.
I was back to my comfort zone.
I was back to where I excel.
Playing chess.
Using the board to my advantage.
Play well and let people run like headless chickens.
My career and the team first.
Of course, ultimately I would help.
And of course, we would end up fixing this mess.
But as soon as it would be over, people would start looking for the guilty ones. The company would also go through financial difficulties until it could recover – another good reason to let people go.
I had to make sure I would not be one of them.
Me and my team.
Focus on what I know.
Do not join the panic.
Focus!
CONGRATULATIONS
MYSELF
EGO
PRESENT
CONNECT
FILTER
COMPASS
PROTECTION
POLLUTION
RULES
MASTER
You have gained perspective how others have overcome their challenge leveraging THEe PUZZLE!
May it inspire you.
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Part 2 - I will align standing for my values and the company
The crisis was worse than anything we could have imagined.
Systems down. People in panic. The media everywhere.
Rumours spreading like wildfire: the police were coming, we’d all be interrogated, better call our families while we still could…
Utter chaos.
And what pissed me off the most was that we had worked so hard to prevent this.
Years of security projects, hiring top experts, spending hundreds of millions on software and employee training — all of it, for what?!
My mind was on fire. It was up to me and my team to fix this.
But what if this time we could not contain it?! What if this was too complex to be fixed? What if we could not find the root cause?
All these “what if” scenario were running through my head at the speed of light!
I could feel fear physically pouring into my veins. My head was filled with every possible scenario of what could go wrong. I was on the edge of exploding.
I had warned them so many times!
The endless budget cuts.
The meetings where no one listened.
And now, as expected, it was on me to fix.
And I could see how this would play out.
Until one different thought stopped me: “Really? You know how this will play out. Do you, really??”
“Of course I do”, I immediately answered to myself.
“OK but what if they also care, in their own different way?” I asked myself.
That thought intrigued me.
Was the direction caring about the company?
Well I care more, I told mysef!
That old, familiar voice in my head— the survivor.
It told me exactly what to do: protect yourself first. Negotiate. Demand guarantees. Make yourself indispensable.
That was my comfort zone. I could feel my brain switching into chess mode, moving pieces, anticipating moves.
Except… this time, something felt different.
How could I care more if I was behaving that way?!
Was this caring, really??
Or would I expose all of us, my team and I, behaving that way right now?
My body was tense — too tense.
I caught myself whispering: Focus. But I was not.
So I took a deep breath.
And then another.
For the first time that day, I tried to come back to myself.
To the present moment.
And I started dialoguing with myself silently: What are you trying to protect right now?
Me!
And how does it feel?
Wrong.
Should I not protect myself?
Yes I should.
So what was wrong?
Me turning into one of these political animals I judge so hard!
Who was I becoming?
Another me.
And did I like that person?
No!
But what would happen if I did not behave that way? If I did not protect the team and I?
I don’t know. But I do know one thing: I won’t be proud of myself. And that will only fuel that anger.
Why was I so angry?
Because I did not feel important. Because I felt powerless. And I hated feeling that way! Better being angry than powerless!
Why is it so bad to feel powerless?
Because then you are useless, if you can’t do anything.
Is it true that I can’t do anything?
No
Then why is it so bad to feel powerless?
Because then there is nowhere to hide! It is just me, all vulnerable, no sure of what to do.
Do you think others know for sure what to do right now?
No
And then it felt like the light went on: when you are powerless, you regroup. You regain power through the group. You act as a team, you build upon one another. That is how you overcome being powerless. And to become that strong together, the starting point is to feel exposed alone.
I liked that logic, and where it was bringing me.
I felt liberated.
I remembered that inner sense of direction I had ignored for too long. It did not matter what others could think, or what would happened next. What matters is how I view myself.
Playing games and politics is something I could do, but deep down it was not satisfying.
Protecting the team and I, protecting the company - it did not have to mean manipulation.
Instead, I should bring clarity. I should bring people together. That was the best way to solve this crisis.
To get to work, together.
The first think I did was to call these peers I had argued with for years, and call for a crisis meeting all together.
I could tell I took them all by surprise.
I can’t guarantee I have fully changed, or that they have either.
But there is one thing I know: we won’t make it unless we work together. Most likely, tomorrow we’ll argue over budget again. But today is not the day. Today, we are putting everything aside to fix this crisis.
That felt the right way to go.
And while I was surrounded by my “worst enemies”, I felt good. The energy in the room had shifted. From individual interests to chaos to collaboration.
That day, I stopped seeing leadership as a chessboard where you must outplay everyone else.
Instead, I saw it as an orchestra — one where harmony comes not from dominance. That’s the future I wanted for all of us: it was no longer about winning, but rather play together.
Part 3 - THEe PUZZLE DECODER
Let's decode this People's story with the lens of THEe PUZZLE pieces.
MYSELF
EGO
PRESENT
I am a lot more than I show. I am my my Ego, loud and confident, protecting myself, to fight and to win. It had helped me move up the ladder, and so it took the lead.... without asking permission. And in fairness I left it, because it worked! But ultimately, this political person is not really me. I am also a fixer. Someone who cares deeply. And I am glad this other part in me was awaken by this crisis, because he is the one suiting me most!
Once I was aligned with myself, I felt more able to think clearly about the situation and focus on the crisis. Protecting myself from potential attacks did not feel right, and I am grateful I was lucid enough to realize that managing this crisis was more important.
CONNECT
FILTER
Until then, every situation was scanned for threats, and every reaction shaped by fear of losing power – or even more: my job! But that filter distorted reality. I only saw enemies, never allies.
When I paused and connected with myself — I discovered that there was fear behind the anger. I was angry because I felt I did not matter, that my effort and voice were unseen.
In that moment, I reconnected with something more authentic. I started to consider that maybe others cared too, just differently. I stopped assuming they were careless or against me, or judging them hard. This shift of perspective changed everything for me, and in my relationship with others.
COMPASS
PROTECTION
POLLUTION
For years, my internal Compass had been guided by an old form of pollution: the belief that politics is protection. That keeping control meant being strong, playing the game better than others. But that belief had been poisoning me. And distorted how I perceived reality.
When I reoriented my Compass to different feelings, I realized that I did not want to live in anger or fear. I decided to be open for surprises in that moment of crisis, and reach out to the very people I had opposed for years.
That single act changed our team dynamics. We moved from defense to action. And I also no longer was alone to manage this crisis. Not to mention that we did all care.
RULES
MASTER
Until now, my behaviour kept me sharp, but also exhausted and drained me!
Power is not a solo game, and even more so at times of crisis. But to gain trust with people I was not close to, I needed to make the first move. That was a big step for me, like to jump in a pool not knowing the water temperature. But that was also very rewarding: I was very proud of myself for reaching out. And even more impressed when my colleagues responded positively.
Leadership, I discovered, is not a chessboard where you outplay everyone else. It is an orchestra, where harmony replaces dominance, and each instrument matters.
I am still learning to play that new music, but it already feels better — lighter, more aligned, more human. More me. Stress no longer controls my life: from now on, I choose how to behave.