The Best Time to Prepare for a Crisis
“The best time to prepare for an emergency was yesterday. The second best time is now... before the coffee runs out.”
Preparation is the heartbeat of leadership, especially in a crisis. This quote may read with a hint of humor, but beneath the surface lies a profound truth: leadership under pressure cannot exist without deliberate preparation, foresight, and resilience. Emergencies, whether in public safety, business, or government, are not a matter of if but when. And when they arrive, they often reveal the stark difference between leaders who invested in readiness and those who hoped for calm seas.
This article will unpack how we can apply the wisdom of this quote to crisis leadership, why preparation is non-negotiable, and what leaders can do today to prepare their teams before the metaphorical (or literal) coffee runs out.
The Leadership Principle Behind the Quote
At its core, the quote emphasizes urgency and foresight. Preparation is never convenient, but it is always essential. Leaders who excel in crisis understand two truths:
Yesterday’s preparation buys today’s success. The groundwork laid before a crisis, training, planning, equipping, and building trust, becomes the foundation that carries teams through chaos.
The next best opportunity is now. Leaders who missed earlier opportunities cannot afford to waste time dwelling on that loss. Instead, they must act immediately to close gaps and strengthen resilience with whatever time remains.
This principle applies across every leadership environment. A fire officer who trains firefighters relentlessly before the alarm ever rings knows that muscle memory and drilled discipline will save lives. A business leader who prepares their team for market disruptions positions the organization to adapt rather than collapse. A government leader who invests in planning, communication systems, and public trust lays the groundwork for effective emergency response.
Preparation is never about perfection; it is about positioning. And the urgency behind “before the coffee runs out” reminds us that our window for readiness is smaller than we like to believe.
The Consequences of Delayed Preparation
Crisis exposes the cracks in leadership. Teams that lack preparation stumble, improvising under stress in ways that often compound the damage. Leaders who delay preparation fall into one of three traps:
Complacency. Believing a crisis is unlikely or far off, they neglect readiness altogether. When the crisis strikes, the result is shock and paralysis.
Procrastination. Leaders know preparation is needed, but continually push it aside in favor of “more pressing” issues. By the time they act, it is too late.
Overconfidence. Some leaders mistakenly believe that their charisma, instincts, or ability to “wing it” will carry the day. In reality, improvisation without preparation is recklessness disguised as confidence.
The consequences are real. In public safety, delayed preparation can cost lives. In business, it can cost livelihoods. In government, it can cost public trust and stability. A leader’s responsibility is not only to manage crises when they occur but to minimize their impact through foresight and preparation.
Lessons from Crisis Leadership
Crisis leadership is distinct from day-to-day management. It demands decisiveness, clarity, and calm under conditions of uncertainty. But none of those qualities emerge in a vacuum; they are cultivated long before the crisis.
Drawing from military, public safety, and business contexts, several lessons stand out:
Train as You Fight. The military principle of rehearsing under realistic conditions ensures that when the real crisis comes, the stress feels familiar. Firefighters, soldiers, and emergency medical teams embody this principle through constant drills. Business leaders can apply it through scenario planning, tabletop exercises, and simulations.
Redundancy Equals Resilience. A crisis often strips away resources, whether it is time, personnel, or equipment. Leaders who prepare redundancies and contingencies in advance ensure their teams can adapt when Plan A fails.
Communication Is the First Casualty. One of the first systems to break down in a crisis is communication. Leaders must establish clear communication protocols in advance, test them, and train teams to default to clarity when stress rises.
Culture Eats Crisis for Breakfast. A team’s culture, built slowly and intentionally, determines how it responds under stress. Leaders who invest in cultures of trust, accountability, and empowerment create teams that adapt quickly when the unexpected occurs.
Why “Now” Still Matters
The second half of the quote, “The second best time is now... before the coffee runs out,” underscores a crucial point: preparation is always possible, even if delayed. Leaders who recognize their shortcomings and act decisively in the present can still mitigate future crises.
This mindset requires humility. Leaders must acknowledge:
We are not as prepared as we should be.
There are steps we can take immediately to improve.
Delay compounds vulnerability.
Acting “now” may mean starting small: creating a crisis communication plan, identifying key vulnerabilities, scheduling training, or building relationships with external partners. Every step taken before the crisis arrives increases the team’s resilience.
The Role of Leadership in Crisis Preparation
Crisis preparation is not simply a technical function; it is a leadership responsibility. Leaders shape how teams view preparation. They either instill urgency and discipline or foster complacency. The leader’s role in preparation can be broken down into five critical areas:
Vision. Leaders must cast the vision for readiness, reminding teams that preparation is not optional but integral to mission success.
Resources. Leaders must allocate the time, funding, and training resources necessary for preparation. This often requires complex trade-offs against competing priorities.
Modeling. Leaders who personally engage in preparation signal its importance. Leaders who treat preparation as a burden or formality erode its credibility.
Accountability. Preparation must be measured and enforced. Without accountability, readiness becomes a checkbox exercise rather than a discipline.
Empowerment. Leaders should empower their teams to take ownership of their preparation. When preparation is distributed and embraced at every level, resilience becomes embedded in the organization.
From Preparation to Execution
Preparation is the foundation, but execution in crisis still requires leadership. Leaders must bridge the gap between preparation and action with decisiveness. Here is where the “before the coffee runs out” imagery is particularly relevant:
Time is short. Leaders rarely have the luxury of prolonged deliberation in a crisis. Preparation provides the confidence to act quickly.
Resources are limited. Leaders often face crises with less than they want: less information, fewer people, and diminished supplies. Preparation creates the flexibility to adapt to what is available.
Stress is high. The chaos of crisis amplifies stress and confusion. Preparation stabilizes leaders and teams, allowing them to maintain clarity and purpose.
Execution without preparation is gambling. Preparation without execution is wasted. Crisis leadership demands both.
Practical Steps for Leaders Today
The quote calls us to act not someday, but now. For leaders across every field, here are actionable steps:
Conduct a Readiness Audit. Identify the gaps in your team’s crisis preparedness. Where are you least ready to respond? What systems would fail first under stress?
Build a Playbook. Document clear, simple procedures for likely scenarios. A written plan beats improvisation in the heat of the moment.
Train Relentlessly. Invest in regular drills, simulations, and scenario planning. Training should challenge teams to respond under realistic conditions.
Strengthen Communication. Establish reliable channels and protocols for communication before a crisis strikes. Rehearse them until they become second nature.
Empower Informal Leaders. Crisis often elevates informal leaders who step into gaps. Invest in developing leadership at all levels so your team is always well-directed.
Model Calm and Clarity. In every preparation exercise, model the demeanor you expect in a crisis. Teams will mirror their leader’s tone under pressure.
Conclusion
“The best time to prepare for an emergency was yesterday. The second best time is now... before the coffee runs out.”
This quote is more than clever, it is a blueprint for leadership. It reminds us that preparation delayed is preparation denied, but that leaders still hold the power to act today. It challenges us to see preparation not as an optional exercise but as a moral obligation to those we lead.
Crisis leadership is forged long before the moment of impact. It is built in yesterday’s training, today’s planning, and tomorrow’s resilience. Leaders who embrace this truth create teams that can withstand the storm, adapt to the unexpected, and execute under pressure with clarity and purpose.
The coffee will run out. The question is, will you and your team be ready before it does?
