Beyond the Crisis

In times of upheaval, even forward-thinking organisations can sometimes slip into a state of survival mode. The pandemic was a prime example, prompting many leaders to adopt directive, top-down styles in an effort to restore order in the face of uncertainty. That instinct may have made sense at the time. But where do we go now?

I sat down with Marisa Kismul to discuss her insights and experiences in moving beyond the emergency response and building leadership practices that are fit for today’s realities.

Who is Marisa?

Marisa Kismul is Senior Vice President of HR for Civil Airframe at GKN Aerospace, one of the world’s leading aerospace suppliers. With a global remit spanning manufacturing sites and engineering hubs, she continues to play a key role in shaping leadership, talent, and culture across complex, high-performance environments. Known for her direct, people-focused style, Marisa brings a clear-eyed perspective on what it takes to build leadership capability in times of disruption and change.

From Reaction to Reflection

The early days of COVID were, in Marisa’s words, “change on steroids” — a masterclass in reactive leadership and decision-making.

“At 5pm we’d be watching the Prime Minister’s briefing,” Marisa recalled, “and by 5:30, we’d be crafting internal communications with the CHRO and VP of Comms, trying to provide clarity—even if we didn’t have many answers.”

“The shift was understandable — we’d never lived through anything like it,” Marisa explained. “People needed clarity and direction. But if we stay in that mode, we risk shutting down creativity and failing to empower our teams.”

That kind of adaptive, all-hands leadership was essential at the time. However, the prolonged crisis left behind some unintended habits: leaders are reluctant to relinquish control, and teams default to waiting for direction.

“There’s a risk that leadership muscle has atrophied,” she noted. “In some cases, leaders have come to rely too heavily on HR, our job is to help build great leaders, so we need to pivot to do just that.”

Rediscovering the Fundamentals

Marisa points to coaching, communication, and feedback as the capabilities in most urgent need of reinvestment. This is not about going back to basics — it is about doing them better.

That starts with a mindset shift:

“We’re pushing to get leaders off the shop floor and into real, immersive development experiences. We’ve built a new team leadership framework in just a day, but now the hard work starts. We're making the case that the cost of not developing our leaders far outweighs the cost of taking them out for training.”

Rather than defaulting to digital platforms or self-directed modules, Marisa is championing hands-on development, facilitated by a blend of internal and external experts.

“Our CFO, for example, will lead sessions on how we make money — and more importantly, where we lose it. That kind of context drives real business awareness. We're building leadership capability through the lens of impact.”

Leading in a Polycrisis

Today’s operating environment is not defined by a single disruption — it is a continuous convergence of many. Whether it's supply chain volatility, geopolitical tensions, or macroeconomic headwinds, leaders must learn to operate amidst complexity without becoming paralysed.

“We call it living in the grey. Things aren't black and white anymore. It’s about being accountable, making decisions even in ambiguity, and staying agile.”

In one product group alone, her organisation operates plants across China, India, Mexico, and Turkey — a geopolitical balancing act that requires near-constant recalibration. “Where do we manufacture? Where's the tariff risk? What do our customers want? There's no perfect answer — just informed decisions made fast.”

Time to Get Bold: The HR Mandate

For HR, the message is clear: it is time to move from enablers to activators.

“We’ve over-indexed on self-directed learning, and used it as a bit of an excuse. We claim to be doing development, but in reality, we’re just ticking a box. That’s not going to cut it anymore,” Marisa said.

Her team is refreshing and repackaging existing content — not reinventing the wheel, but executing faster and with renewed purpose. “We know who’s new, who’s had what before. We’re matching needs with content and moving forward. No more delay.”

What’s Overhyped, What’s Underrated?

Marisa is candid about leadership fads that promise transformation but underdeliver. The “fail fast” mantra, for instance, raises red flags.

“Failure costs. I believe in learning through mistakes, but not reckless failure. We need managed learning — fail smart, not fast.”

She also raised concerns about over-specialisation in HR, where siloed roles can lead to “skill fade” and a disconnect from business reality. Instead, she argues, we need more generalists with adaptable skills — people who can flex with change, not be overwhelmed by it.

And what’s most underestimated? Stability.

“We’re obsessed with progression. But constant movement can create chaos. Sometimes the best thing for a business is stable, capable teams — especially after the turbulence of the last few years.”

In Summary

Marisa’s insights highlight a broader shift in leadership development — away from theoretical, top-down programmes and toward practical, human-centred capability building. In an era defined by complexity, the leaders who will thrive are those who can be decisive in ambiguity, stay grounded in business realities, and continuously build trust through clear, confident communication.

As Marisa puts it: “It’s our job to create great leaders. So we need to get out there and do it.”

ChapmanCG Perspective

At ChapmanCG, we’re hearing similar reflections from HR leaders around the world. In many organisations, the legacy of the last few years has left leaders stretched — not due to lack of intent, but because the pace of change has been relentless. The ability to lead through complexity, stay close to the business, and connect meaningfully with people is more important than ever, and many are actively working to rebuild those capabilities with fresh energy.
What we appreciate in Marisa’s approach is her focus on practical, human-centred leadership and her belief that development doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. We see this echoed in the market. The leaders gaining real traction are those who bring clarity, care, and commercial understanding to their teams, especially when the path ahead isn’t always clear.

The message is clear, HR has a powerful role to play in enabling this shift. It’s not about adding more noise, but about creating the space, tools, and confidence for leaders to thrive again.