Leading Your Company Through a Storm: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Serious Illness (video)

When a severe health crisis, such as a cancer diagnosis, blindsides a business owner or key executive, the fallout isn’t just personal—it can send your entire operation into a tailspin. How do you lead a company with vision and stability when your personal world is fundamentally shaken?

Entrepreneur, certified integrative cancer coach, and advocate Deb Krier faced this challenge firsthand, navigating her business through multiple cancer diagnoses. Drawing on her own journey, she shared essential wisdom in a recent interview, offering a powerful blueprint for entrepreneurs who lead through extraordinary adversity.

This guide distills Deb’s core strategies into a roadmap for business owners who must manage a life-altering health event without sacrificing their business, team, or professional identity.

Strategy 1: Master the Narrative with Intentional Communication

When a leader’s health is at risk, uncertainty is the biggest threat to business stability. Clients, partners, and employees will fill any information vacuum with anxiety and worst-case scenarios.

• Be Strategic, Not Exhaustive: You don’t owe anyone a play-by-play of your medical condition. A simple, reassuring statement is often enough: “I’m managing a health issue that requires some schedule adjustments, but be assured, the business operations and client service will continue uninterrupted.”
• Control the Message: Frame your communication to emphasize continuity and capability. You are still the leader, and you have a plan. This prevents the spread of damaging rumors and maintains professional trust.
• Set Firm Boundaries: Be clear about what is and isn’t up for discussion. Politely pivot from personal queries back to business: “I appreciate your concern, but let’s focus on the project at hand.” As Deb notes, “We’re not just our diagnoses. It’s about balancing honesty with maintaining your professional identity.”

Strategy 2: The Imperative of Delegation and Continuity Planning

A health crisis makes one fact crystal clear: you cannot do it all. Effective delegation and proactive planning are not just about offloading tasks; they are about empowering your team and ensuring the business survives in your absence.

• Identify Your Critical Tasks: List out the essential, daily functions of the business. Who on your team is best positioned to assume them? Assign clear roles and grant the necessary authority—whether that means signing checks or leading client communications.
• Trust Your Hires: You employed your team for a reason. Now is the time to step back and let them rise to the occasion. Resist the urge to micromanage; your trust is a powerful form of empowerment.

Build a Robust ‘What If’ Plan: Every business, especially a small one, needs a legal and financial safety net.

• Document Everything: Ensure all critical operational processes are documented and accessible to a trusted associate.
• Legal Readiness: Have up-to-date legal documents, like a Power of Attorney, that grants a trusted person the ability to access business accounts and make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.

Strategy 3: Cultivate Your ‘Tribe’ and Re-evaluate Relationships

Adversity is the ultimate test of your personal and professional networks. You need both emotional support and practical flexibility.

• Ask for and Accept Help: Isolation magnifies stress. Reach out to trusted clients and colleagues who can offer flexibility or support. As Deb shared, accepting help was vital, and some clients became her most valuable advocates.
• Assess the Strength of Your Team: A crisis reveals the true colors of your team members. Ask yourself: “Do I have people in this business I can absolutely trust and rely on?” If the answer is no, it’s a key sign you need to review your team structure.
• Prioritize Self-Care: Your well-being is the foundation of your business’s health. Accept that you may not be able to operate at 100%, and that’s okay. Focus on what you can control, delegate the rest, and seek professional support—like a coach or support group—to maintain your emotional health.

Conclusion: Lead with Foresight and Resilience

A health emergency forces an intentional re-evaluation of your life and business priorities. As Deb Krier’s journey underscores, it’s not simply about surviving the illness; it’s about leading with intention, foresight, and unshakeable resilience.

Key Action Item: Take a moment today to ask: If I were suddenly unavailable tomorrow, do I have the documented processes, legal framework, and empowered team in place to keep the business running? Start building that secure foundation now.