When the World Is on Fire, Lead with Spirit

“In any crisis, one thing a leader can do, should do and shall do is to raise their people’s spirit.”

Atip Muangsuwan
CEO Coach and Coach Supervisor

I want to tell you about a conversation I had last week with a leader I’ll call Jim.

Jim lives in the UAE. And right now, the US-Iran war is not a headline for him. It is the air he breathes. It is the worry on his team’s faces every morning.

He called me because his people were scared. Not lazy. Not unmotivated. Scared.

And he said something that stopped me cold.

“Coach, how do I manage people when the world is falling apart?”

I looked at him and said, “Jim, forget the word manage for a minute. Let’s talk about something deeper.”

The EE-FI Model: Not a Tool, But a Heartbeat

We’ve been working with a leadership approach called EE-FI. It stands for Engagement, Empathy, Fulfillment, and Influence.

Sounds fancy, right?

But here’s the truth Jim and I discovered together. In a crisis—a real one, with missiles and fear and sleepless nights—the EE-FI model stops being a theory. It becomes a lifeline.

Because when people are afraid, they don’t need a boss. They need a human being who stays close, listens deeply, fills the emotional holes, and quietly lights the way forward.

That’s it. That’s the whole model when the sky feels heavy.

What Jim Learned That Day

I didn’t give Jim a checklist. I gave him a mirror. And we talked through what he was already feeling.

“Engage more, not less.”

Jim thought he should give his team space. Let them hide. But I told him, “Engage with them. Sit with them. Open the floor and let them say the scary stuff out loud. The first half of every meeting? Let them vent. Don’t fix. Just listen.”

“Normal is a gift.”

I asked Jim, “What can you control?” He laughed. “Almost nothing.”

“Exactly,” I said. “So, control the room. Bring the coffee. Keep the schedule boring and steady. When the outside world is chaos, make your world feel like Tuesday afternoon. That’s not pretending. That’s protecting.”

“Give them their work back.”

Fear grows when we stare at things we cannot change. So, I told Jim, “Help your people look down at their own two hands. Their roles. Their tasks. The customer who needs them. When they focus on what they can do, the fear shrinks. It doesn’t disappear. But it shrinks.”

“You are not a therapist. You are a role model.”

We talked about the Lyra hotline—a 24/7 support line for his people and their families. “Give them that number proudly,” I said. “Real leaders know when to bring in real help.”

And then I looked at Jim. “But the rest of the time? You are the lighthouse. You smile first. You stay calm first. You laugh first. Not because you’re blind to the danger. But because your people need to see that hope is still allowed.”

The One Insight That Changed Everything

By the end of our talk, Jim was sitting straighter. He said, “So, I need to communicate well and lead from the forefront.”

I nodded. Then I added one more thing.

“Jim, that’s good. But let me share with you the real secret.”

He leaned in.

“Raise their spirit. That’s your job now. Not spreadsheets. Not forecasts. Just… keep their spirit alive. One conversation at a time. One small win at a time. One day at a time. Seize the day!”

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he smiled. “Raise their spirit. I can definitely do that.”

A Simple Summary for Hard Times

Here is what Jim walked away with. Maybe it helps you too.

• Talk to your people more often than usual. Let them share the heavy stuff.
• Bring back normal. Small routines. Warmth. Predictability.
• Help them focus on their work—their hands, their desk, their today.
• Give them real support lines. You don’t have to carry everything alone.
• Be the calm one. Be the smiling one. Be the proof that courage is calm and quiet.

And above all…

Raise their spirit.

Because when the world is on fire, people don’t need a perfect leader. They need a present one. A hopeful one. Someone who refuses to let the dark win.

That’s the EE-FI way. And that’s what Jim is doing right now, in the UAE, one brave day at a time.

If you’re leading through a storm, you are not alone. Keep going. Keep lifting people’s spirit as well as yours. If you need a coach to help lift your spirit, let’s talk.

About Atip Muangsuwan: Atip is an executive leadership coach who specializes in helping high-achieving leaders overcome internal barriers to unlock their full potential and drive organizational success. Through a blend of strategic frameworks and profound personal insights, he empowers leaders in transforming their mindsets, emotional states, and behaviors for lasting impact.