Executive Training – Lead Under Fire
Lead Under Fire executive training is a dynamic, scenario-based workshop that combines executive presence training with practical de-escalation techniques and essential crisis response skills. The programme is designed for leaders who must operate visibly in an unpredictable public landscape, where security threats, activist disruptions and reputational risks can emerge in real time.
Aligned with corporate security protocols, Lead Under Fire equips leaders to remain calm under pressure, communicate with confidence and coordinate effectively with security teams during high-risk public situations. Whether facing protests, hostile questioning or potential safety threats, participants build the awareness, readiness and strategic mindset needed to lead visibly – and safely.
Leading under pressure today
Corporate leaders and spokespersons are expected to be visible, accessible and authentic. At the same time, they are increasingly exposed to aggressive questioning, online mobilisation, activist campaigns and shifting security risks around public appearances, town halls, media interviews and events.
Lead Under Fire addresses this reality directly. The programme does not train leaders to avoid difficult situations, but to face them with composure, clarity and a structured understanding of their role alongside corporate security and crisis teams.
Lead Under Fire executive training programme
Lead Under Fire executive training is delivered as an intensive workshop built around realistic scenarios. Participants work through situations that mirror their own industry, risk profile and public exposure.
Each workshop typically combines:
• Briefings on current threat landscapes and activist methods
• Executive presence training under pressure
• Scenario-based role plays with debriefing
• Practical de-escalation techniques
• Crisis communication under scrutiny
• Coordination with security and crisis management
teams
The format can be adapted for board members, C-suite, senior management or key spokespersons.
Scenario-based training & de-escalation
In Lead Under Fire, scenarios are designed to simulate real-world pressure: hostile questions in live settings, coordinated disruptions at events or unexpected confrontations in semi-public spaces. Participants are placed in realistic, but controlled, situations where decisions and behaviour matter.
Through guided debriefs, leaders receive feedback on verbal and non-verbal communication, posture, boundaries and escalation patterns. They learn concrete de-escalation tools that can reduce tension, protect bystanders and maintain control without overreacting or escalating the situation further.
Crisis communication & working with security teams
Effective leadership under fire is never a solo discipline. Lead Under Fire emphasises the relationship between leadership, communication, security and crisis management.
Participants work through:
• How to communicate clearly under pressure, on- and off-camera
• When to step forward – and when to step back and let security or crisis teams lead
• How to maintain alignment between what is said publicly and what is happening operationally
• How to avoid ad hoc decisions that increase risk for staff, guests or bystanders
The aim is a shared mental model between executives and security professionals, so decisions in the moment support overall security strategy.
Lead Under Fire executive training is relevant for:
CEOs and senior executives with high public visibility
Board members and chairs who appear in media or public forums
Spokespersons and communication leads
Leaders in organisations with elevated risk profiles, controversial topics or activist attention
Security and crisis managers who must brief and support leadership in high-pressure situations
The programme can be delivered as stand-alone executive training or as part of a broader security and crisis preparedness initiative.
Rethinking leadership under fire
Many leaders only discover how they react “under fire” when it happens for real – in front of cameras, employees or guests. By that point, it is often too late to adjust behaviour, practise new tools or clarify the role in relation to security and crisis management.
Lead Under Fire executive training gives leaders a safe, structured environment to test their reactions, receive honest feedback and develop a more conscious, professional presence under pressure. The goal is not to turn leaders into security professionals, but to ensure they can fulfil their own role – and support security and crisis teams – in a way that protects both the organisation and the people present.
If you want to explore whether Lead Under Fire is relevant for your leadership group, upcoming events or overall security work, Praesidio can provide an initial assessment and a concrete proposal for format.