Navigating and engaging with emotion during crises: A scoping review of literature

Crisis leadership plays a critical role in navigating the aftermath of events that cause catastrophic harm and leave long-lasting impacts on communities (Striepe & Cunningham, 2021). labour during crises. School leaders navigate personal well-being while upholding broad responsibility for staff and students. This requires skilful mediation as crises (e.g. flood and fires) can impact leaders’ own homes and families. The researchers report findings from a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and December 2023. The research team thematically analysed the articles to address the question: how do leaders work with and through emotions during periods of crisis? Four themes emerged. Firstly, there was the need for leaders to acknowledge and process emotion. Secondly, in the face of challenge, leaders who demonstrate emotional resilience, coupled with a consistent and decisive approach, are better equipped to manage crises. Thirdly, emotional labour is associated with foregrounding students’ well-being. In many cases, trauma experienced by leaders during a crisis can be overshadowed by their focus on mitigating the impact on their students. The fourth theme highlights the critical role of leaders in supporting the emotional and professional wellbeing of their staff. By facilitating conditions conducive to emotional healing, they help staff navigate personal and professional challenges. Leaders may struggle to meet these needs while managing their own responses to the crisis. This dual burden highlights the complex emotional labour involved in leading schools through significant challenges.