Where Do Execs Fit Into an Incident Management Process?

Have you ever experienced a high-pressure situation in your organization where executive leadership’s involvement in the incident management process appeared to be more of a hindrance than a help?

Often, the presence of executives can be a double-edged sword. In high-stakes scenarios, good leadership is critical. But what you don’t need is overbearing oversight that escalates the situation rather than resolves it.

In this article, we’ll explore how executives can strike the right balance in incident management. We’ll uncover common pitfalls they face, effective strategies for involvement, and real-world insights on avoiding these challenges.

Common executive pitfalls in incident management

In order to avoid exacerbating the situation, executives should become aware of a few common missteps.

1. Overstepping technical boundaries

Oftentimes, top execs are years (sometimes decades) removed from working on the technical side of the business in a hands-on way. Because of this knowledge gap, leaders can inadvertently disrupt incident response efforts by involving themselves in technical decisions. Their lack of recent expertise can quickly lead to confusion and delay resolving the issue.

2. Micromanaging the response team

Leaders within the organization likely have valuable insights and experience to offer. And they should. However, no one likes to be micromanaged. When it happens, it leads to inefficient handling of the incident in the short term. In the long term, executives undermine the trust and autonomy of the response team, ultimately lowering morale.

3. Inadequate communication

Yes, it’s important for leadership to be kept in the loop throughout the incident resolution process. But there has to be clear communication protocols in place before an emergency strikes. The time your team spends on answering your demands for updates is time they’re not spending on fixing the issue at hand.

These pitfalls highlight the delicate balance executives must maintain in the face of their organization’s response to an incident. Be informed and supportive without being intrusive or controlling. Understanding and avoiding these common mistakes will get you one step closer to positively influencing the incident management process.

The role of executives in the incident management process

When an incident requires an emergency response, the right decisions need to be made swiftly and efficiently to ensure a quick recovery.

The role of executives is not to directly manage the incident, but to empower those who do, namely IT, DevOps or SRE teams.

Executives help set the tone for how incidents are handled. They put the right incident management team in place, and enable them with the necessary resources and autonomy to resolve incidents effectively. This includes providing clear strategic direction, handling broader organizational impacts, and ensuring the team has the appropriate training and tools at their disposal.

Providing clear strategic direction

When major incidents happen, it’s natural for execs to want to jump in and take charge, says Jed Macosko, tech expert and research director at Academic Influence. “But I’ve learned the best approach is to stay out of the technical weeds initially. The experts need space to assess, coordinate, and execute response plans without execs muddying the waters.”

“That said, as CEO I can’t just sit on the sidelines during a crisis,” Macosko explains. “After the initial flurry of activity, there’s an important role for me to play in removing roadblocks, securing resources, and providing strategic guidance.”

He makes sure incident managers have direct access to loop him in when his input is really needed. Whether it’s helping cut through bureaucratic red tape or weighing in on a critical judgment call, he’s available to support his teams.

“But most importantly, I also empower my technical heads to make pragmatic in-the-moment decisions without excessive second-guessing,” says Macosko. “Nobody benefits from me peering over engineering shoulders during an outage. However, by aligning our respective roles ahead of time, we avoid stepping on each other’s toes when the pressure is on.”

Handling broader organizational impacts

“Smart leaders let incident managers run the technical response while they handle the business continuity, legal, PR, and personnel challenges that arise,” shares Kelly Indah, a tech expert and security analyst at Increditools.

Oftentimes, incidents have big potential consequences including reputational damage or financial impacts. In these cases, the CEO may need to weigh in on high-stakes choices, says Taimur Ijlal, information security leader at Netify. “They also represent the human face of the organization during a crisis, communicating timely updates and reassurances to staff and external stakeholders.”

Resource mobilization

“Effective leaders give responders what they need to do their jobs — resources, access, staffing support, etc.,” says Indah.

Executive engagement based on incident severity

Ultimately, the level of involvement from leadership depends on the severity of the incident.

According to Joseph Braithwaite, Managing Partner at EvolveThinking, the hacking of a major bank needs the CEO front and center, while the robbery of a branch wouldn’t require that level of engagement.

“BP’s CEO did more harm than good during the oil spill in the Gulf, while Allscripts having the incident posted by a patient and not the company are signs of what we don’t want from our CEOs and where their involvement was detrimental,” Braithwaite explains.

On the flip side, “John Legere at T Mobile and Steve Long at Hancock Health are examples of what they should be doing,” Braithwaite continues. “Clear, concise, client-focused messaging while giving the people they hired to do a job the space to do it.”

5 strategies for effective executive involvement in the incident management process

Based on insights from expert opinions, here are some best practices for executive involvement.

1. Establish clear communication protocols

Executives should be kept informed through established channels that don’t interfere with the operational response. This helps maintain a balance between executive oversight and the autonomy of the response team.

“Tech teams should partner with executives by explaining what’s happening in straightforward terms,” shares Vance Tran, co-founder of Pointer Clicker. “Regular brief updates stop executives from stepping in simply due to a lack of information. It also helps to be upfront about ways leadership could help from a high level rather than a technical one.”

2. Appoint a liaison or Incident Commander

Before an incident occurs, organizations should appoint a designated Incident Commander tasked with bridging the communication gap between the incident response team and executive leadership. This person can provide execs with timely updates while shielding the response team from unnecessary distractions.

3. Respect technical boundaries

Executives should understand their limitations in technical aspects and trust the expertise of the incident response team. Involvement should be supportive rather than directive.

“Astute leaders also know when to get out of the way,” says Indah. “Imposing top-down decisions can impair incident responders who need freedom of action. Executives who circumvent standard response protocols risk causing delays, confusion, and political bottlenecks.”

4. Prioritize the post-mortem process

During the post-mortem process, leaders should be involved in reviewing what happened, why it happened, and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.

With that stated, their involvement should still be strategic in nature, focusing on lessons learned and improvements that need to be made to the incident management process, rather than diving into the weeds regarding the technical details of the incident.

By staying in their lane and trusting the team they hired, executives can become a part of the solution, as opposed to an added layer to the problem.

5. Train executives on incident management

Educating executives about the incident management process and their optimal role can preempt misunderstandings and promote a more harmonious response effort.

Incorporating these strategies can significantly enhance the effectiveness of executive involvement in incident management, turning potential obstacles into assets for the organization.

Effective incident management leadership in action

Let’s take a look at a real world example of how an organization can appropriately handle an incident by working together.

“We once faced a significant incident that tested our response mechanisms and resilience,” shares Kevin Ameche, President of RealSTEEL Software.

The incident occurred when a critical update to the company’s software inadvertently introduced a bug that affected the inventory management module, a key component for their clients’ day-to-day operations. This glitch led to discrepancies in inventory records, causing confusion and operational delays for several clients.

“Upon learning of the incident, our first step was to openly acknowledge the issue to our clients, ensuring them that resolving this unexpected problem was our top priority,” says Ameche.

“We updated our clients regularly about our progress towards a solution. Internally, we assembled a task force comprising our best developers and support staff to work round the clock on identifying, isolating, and fixing the bug. We also established a temporary workaround to help our clients manage their inventory more effectively while the issue was being resolved.”

Through dedicated efforts, the bug was fixed within 48 hours, and a software update was promptly rolled out to all affected clients. To prevent future incidents, the team at RealSTEEL conducted a thorough review of its software update protocols, introducing additional layers of testing and validation.

To maintain balance, executives established a communication protocol that respected the technical team’s space while allowing for timely updates and decision-making. This includes scheduled briefings, a liaison, and using management software that tracks progress without interrupting the workflow.

“Our approach has fostered a culture of trust and autonomy, where executives support and empower, rather than micromanage, during crises,” says Ameche.

Enhancing the incident management process with executive insight

Effective executive involvement in incident management is a balancing act. Leaders play a vital role in shaping the strategic approach and supporting the response teams, but they must also be mindful of the potential pitfalls of over-involvement. To maximize their positive impact, executives should:

Understand the intricacies of incident management and respect the expertise of their teams
Facilitate clear and efficient communication channels
Contribute strategically, particularly in post-incident analysis and future planning

“Ultimately, major incidents require a coordinated effort between execs and technical experts,” says Macosko. “As a CEO, I’ve learned the hard way that my job is enabling my A-players, not pretending I’m one of them. With mutual trust and restraint, we can balance involvement and ensure level-heads prevail even in chaotic, stressful situations.”

So, for the next outage, take a breath.

“By valuing each other’s contributions and maintaining clear dialogue, tech experts and leaders can solve problems smoothly as a team,” Tran shares.

“Leaders provide strategic assistance, while engineers handle technical details. It’s not about competing — it’s about collaborating to fix issues promptly for our customers. Staying calm, sharing information openly, and playing to each other’s strengths is key to recovering smoothly from disruptions.”