Turbulent Times Test What You Really Value
During a recent conversation Faro Point had with Marion Kennedy of Root & Regard, we reflected on the trends we’ve been seeing across organizations navigating leadership, culture, and pressure points in challenging environments. Marion is the founder of Root & Regard, a consulting and coaching firm that partners with mission driven organizations to develop human-centered leaders, align customer and employee experience, and shape healthy workplace cultures.
Marion made the astute observation that in times of financial pressure and uncertainty, organizations often treat a people-centered approach as a luxury rather than a necessity.
That got us thinking.
When pressure builds in turbulent times, people support is often the first area to lose momentum. It tends to fall behind mission and margin, as if the people doing the work are somehow independent from the success of the work itself.
When the Pressure Rises, True Leadership Shows
In times of constraint, it can feel efficient to pause the people work. That often means stepping back from the very structures that help managers lead, address challenges, and navigate difficult conversations. The check-ins are delayed. Expectations stay unspoken. Tension builds beneath the surface.
People will remember what leadership chose to reinforce, and what was treated as dispensable, when things got hard.
This is where strong leadership becomes visible. The kind that builds confidence and provides direction when everything else feels unsettled.
Faro Point believes pressure reveals inherent leadership capabilities. What gets reinforced and prioritized during hard times reflects both your culture and your skill, whether intentional or reactive.
Supporting people through uncertainty protects mission. It does not get in the way of it. Often, it starts by returning to the basics: practical communication, transparency even with the hardest messages, and visible guidance for those managing others. When those elements stay intact, so does the culture that drives performance. And that, in turn, supports mission and strengthens the bottom line.
What Strength Looks Like
Prioritizing a people-centered approach does not always require a big budget. But it does require intention. The strongest teams are supported by structure that helps managers lead with clarity, keeps expectations consistent, and gives people the confidence to stay focused when challenges arise.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Expectations that are clearly defined and consistently reinforced
Feedback processes that are timely, fair, and understood
Behavior standards that reflect the organization’s values and culture
Communication that reduces ambiguity and builds trust
Support for managers so they are not left to navigate challenges alone
These elements create stability during steady times and resilience when the pressure rises.
How Faro Point Helps Organizations Stay Grounded
At Faro Point, we help leaders navigate these high-pressure moments before they turn into high-cost consequences. Our work focuses on strengthening the systems that shape behavior—through consultation, training, policy development, and our tailored Difficult Conversations framework. Whether it is clarifying expectations, addressing performance concerns, or reinforcing team accountability, we equip leaders to act early and lead with steadiness.
When people systems are neglected, the risks go beyond degraded morale. Organizations that treat people priorities as optional often pay for it later; through turnover, disengagement, diminished trust, or reputational harm. The cost of re-recruiting and rebuilding far outweighs the investment it takes to keep things clear and aligned from the start.
Taking the time to invest in clarity, consistency, and sound leadership structures now is how organizations avoid costly missteps later. It requires intention, and a structure that helps people lead well, especially when it is hard.
Leadership That Stands Apart
In uncertain times, employees pay close attention to what gets prioritized and how decisions are made. They notice who takes the time, who communicates clearly, and who shows up with consistency.
The organizations that stay steady in these moments earn something lasting. Teams remember who said the hardest things, and how they were said. That memory builds loyalty.
And loyalty is what carries an organization forward.
