Most people see cruise ship outbreaks in the headlines. I’ve actually experienced one.

Years ago, while singing in the shows on board cruise ships, the Norovirus spread rapidly through our ship. When over 2% of passengers contract a virus like this, or a worse one like the Hantavirus, the protocol is to offload passengers at the safest port and onboard the CDC for a deep clean.

Within days of our ship’s outbreak:

• Passengers and crew with symptoms were quarantined in their cabins. (Believe it or not, most did not abide by that protocol. They figured… “I paid for this cruise, I’m not wasting it in my cabin.”)
• Passengers were being offloaded in Hawaii if they were healthy enough to fly home; otherwise, they had no choice but to stay on board the ship.
• We were told the passengers would be staying on 3 floors of a local Hawaiian hotel until cleared to travel.
• And the rest of us crew… stayed onboard. Frightened of the unknown.
• Then the CDC boarded our ship to conduct a deep clean. (Watching them come aboard with hazmat suits was next-level scary).

We spent the next five days at sea with the CDC, sailing back to Los Angeles, and during that time…

No one left.
No shortcuts were taken.
And every crew member had a choice to make.

Step up… or shrink back.

Every Crisis Reveals This About Teams

Fast forward to today’s headlines around hantavirus. Different virus. Different setting. Way more dangerous. But the same truth revealed….

When pressure hits, teams don’t default to their highest potential. They default to their training, their habits, and the standards set by their leaders.

And if neither has been developed, that’s where both teams and cultures collapse.

Weak Teams vs. Strong Teams in a Crisis

Let’s call it like it is.

Weak teams:

• Wait for direction instead of taking ownership
• Lower standards to cope with pressure
• Protect themselves instead of the mission
• Panic, withdraw, or blame

Strong teams:

• Move quickly and take ownership/initiative
• Stay disciplined when it matters most
• Protect people and the bigger picture
• Communicate, support, and execute

I saw both on board my ship. Some crew members shut down, and I don’t blame them for being scared. Others? They became the reason we got through it.

Building a Bar Raiser™ Team

Bar Raisers™ are the people who don’t wait for ideal conditions. They raise the standard… especially in a crisis.

On our ship, being a Bar Raiser™ meant:

• Helping clean our work area multiple times over, even when exhausted
• Following strict protocols with zero shortcuts
• Supporting guests who couldn’t fly home, and were scared and isolated
• Holding the line on safety, even when no one was watching

Because when the stakes are high, average effort isn’t enough. Excellence is the only option.

Bar Raisers™ Show Up — Step Up — Level Up — Lift Up

Here’s how strong Bar Raiser™ teams operate under pressure:

1. Show Up

They don’t bury their heads in the sand. They face reality head-on, even when it’s uncomfortable.

2. Step Up

They go beyond what needs to be done. Not just what’s assigned. Not just what’s easy.

3. Level Up

They don’t let standards slip. They raise them. When we were deep cleaning in our department on that ship, it wasn’t about doing the minimum. It was about doing it right.

4. Lift Up

They support others. Teammates. Passengers. Anyone impacted by the crisis.

The Hard Truth Every Leader Needs to Hear

You don’t build a high-performing team in the middle of a crisis. You reveal the one you’ve already built. The real question is…

Are you developing a team that can handle pressure, or one that only performs when things are easy? 

Because every organization will face pressure at some point. The ones that come out stronger are led by people who have built Bar Raisers™ at every level.

If This Is a Conversation Your Team or Leaders Need…

This is exactly what I speak on in my keynote:

Be a Bar Raiser™ Under Pressure - How leaders and teams raise the standard when it matters most.

If you’re looking to build a team that doesn’t just survive challenges, but rises because of them, let’s talk. Or visit…

Betsy’s Speaking Website
Leadership & Workforce Development

About Betsy:

Betsy Allen-Manning is a high-energy leadership keynote speaker known for helping organizations develop Bar Raisers™: individuals who consistently raise the standard on performance, leadership, and workplace culture. Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, and TEDx, Betsy works with organizations across corporate, franchise, association, nonprofit, and government sectors to build high-performing teams and cultures where excellence becomes the standard, not the exception. Her work is backed by original national workplace research and delivered through her proven frameworks. Betsy is the founder of Destination Workplace®, an award-winning leadership training company in Dallas, where she equips leaders at every level to perform like Bar Raisers…creating workplaces where excellence is multiplied at every level.