The old saying “think before you speak” is probably best applied to anyone in a leadership position during circumstances of great magnitude.

With the latest war in the Middle East and the unimaginable scenes of violence and suffering being played out across most media channels, understandably tensions are high. Yet, those steering companies are looked to by their teams for leadership when they themselves may be struggling to take in the magnitude of the situation. And there are many executives who are not familiar with the politics of the situation and are uncertain about what to say and how to say it.

There is little doubt that since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, the business community has been shaken, including the advertising sector. Since that dreadful day, business leaders have voiced their opinions or kept their own council, without wanting to add noise to a situation where there is no shortage of anger and hurt.

Many of those who have spoken up within the business community, have met with either support or vitriol. These are divisive events unfolding on a scale most of us have not witnessed for decades, and by saying the wrong thing in connection to these events, it could be ruinous for anyone running a company that immediately offends and appalls their customer base and partners.

Right now, words matter significantly.

The rules of engagement

“This is bigger than a corporate statement. This is bigger than taking sides. It’s bigger than the mundane of actually creating a marketing message,” warns Mark Borkowski, the PR specialist, writer and media industry commentator to any business executive when addressing this situation.

He warns that anyone making a statement openly through social media channels or even within a work environment should choose the language they use very carefully to express how they feel as that choice of language will be seized upon and before they say anything, they should be advised by communications experts.

“People need to turn to very careful wordsmiths because what we’re seeing at the moment in lots of organizations, in a time of crisis … something ill-thought-through comes out by a legal representative who has actually been the final arbiter and changes a well-crafted statement,” he explained.

Do you have something you can say in this world that actually matters?

—Mark Borkowski, PR specialist, writer and media industry commentator

Once an initial external comment is made, Borkowski advises then considering the messaging internally and how it is conveyed, highlighting the complexity of developing communications that match the expectations of both employees and stakeholders at varying levels. Once a statement is made, it will need to be lived by.

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