Crisis Mode: Inside Toby McCosker’s High-Stakes Decision-Making

When Time Runs Out, Clarity Begins

Some people crumble under pressure. Others get clearer. When you’re running a construction company and the stakes are high—contracts on the line, crews waiting, money bleeding—you don’t get the luxury of indecision.

You move. You adapt. You own it.

I’m Toby McCosker, and over the years, I’ve had to make decisions that couldn’t wait. I’ve had hours—sometimes minutes—to assess, act, and carry the consequences. And that’s where real leadership shows itself: not when everything goes to plan, but when the plan collapses and you have to lead anyway.

The Anatomy of Crisis Leadership

Crisis doesn’t come with a warning. It shows up on a Friday afternoon. It’s the supplier who disappears. The client who changes scope mid-build. The payment that doesn’t land when payroll’s due.

In those moments, I don’t panic—I pivot. I quiet the noise. I look for signal. I don’t waste time blaming—I focus on solving. And I’ve trained my teams to do the same.

Because in construction, pressure is part of the game. It’s not about avoiding crisis. It’s about mastering your mindset when crisis hits.

Decisions with Real Consequences

I’ve had to make calls that affected hundreds of thousands of dollars in real time. Delay the project or push forward? Hold the line or take a loss to protect reputation? Terminate a contract or salvage the relationship?

None of these are hypotheticals—they’re real. They’ve happened. And every time, I knew one thing: no one was coming to save me. I had to back myself. Even if it meant getting it wrong.

That kind of decision-making sharpens your leadership fast. It forces you to know your priorities. To trust your instinct. To accept that certainty is rare—but commitment is everything.

What I Do in the First 10 Minutes of Any Crisis

Here’s my internal playbook:

1. Stop the emotion. No reacting. No blaming. Just pause.

2. Get facts. Fast. Not feelings—data.

3. Identify the one thing that breaks first if I don’t act.

4. Decide. Own. Communicate. Even if the answer isn’t perfect, moving forward is better than standing still.

5. Reassure the team. If I’m steady, they’ll be steady.

That pattern has helped me lead through liquidations, disputes, reputational hits, and mid-project collapses. It’s not about being fearless—it’s about being functional when fear shows up.

The Toll—and the Payoff

Crisis leadership takes its toll. You lose sleep. You burn out. You carry the weight others never see. But the upside? You build something unshakable. Not just in business, but in yourself.

I’ve learned that the decisions I feared the most were the ones that ultimately freed me. The hardest calls created the cleanest exits. The ugliest truths gave me the clearest paths.

And the people who stuck around through that? They’re still with me today.

Conclusion: Calm Is Contagious

If you lead people, remember this: they don’t need you to be perfect. They need you to be composed. Especially when everything’s on fire.

I’m Toby McCosker, and my leadership wasn’t forged in easy wins. It was built in crisis mode. And I’ll say this: if you can lead under pressure, you can lead through anything.

More from Toby McCosker

Lessons from the Frontline: Leading Through Adversity
How pressure shaped leadership beyond the job site.

Reputation vs. Reality: What the Media Got Wrong
Why headlines don’t always tell the full story.

Tobias (Toby) McCosker is the founder of Built By Toby. After two decades in construction and business, he now shares raw lessons from the frontline.
Explore more at BuiltByToby.com.au