Leading with Calm in Challenging Situations

Leading with Calm in Challenging Situations
Instructor: Emily Golinsky, Bright Moose Consulting

Every camp has moments that feel intense - a missing camper, a heated disagreement, a sudden change of plans. In those moments, leaders set the emotional temperature for everyone around them. This session helps staff understand the power of calm, confident leadership and how to model it under pressure. Participants explore what “strong leadership” really looks

like (spoiler: it’s not about volume or urgency), learn to recognize their own stress patterns in the 4F (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn) response, and practice strategies to stay grounded when things get hard. Using tools like Emily’s PADAR framework (Pause–Assess–Decide–Act–Reflect), practical grounding techniques, and team agreements, staff will have concrete ways to respond rather than react, support one another, and build a team culture where calm is contagious.

Objectives: Participants will (1) recognize how a leader’s emotional tone influences staff, campers, and overall group dynamics; (2) identify individual stress responses and practice tools to stay calm and focused in high-pressure situations; (3) apply the PADAR framework to make thoughtful, effective decisions when challenges arise; and (4) strengthen team culture by normalizing calm, steady leadership as a shared expectation.