Daryl Black: How Do You Lead When Chaos Hits?

Daryl Black is a crisis-tested leadership coach, emergency response veteran, and creator of the Order to Chaos framework—and we spoke about what building startups, leading high-growth teams, and surviving natural disasters have in common.

With three decades of experience in both emergency management and corporate project leadership, Daryl brings frameworks forged in fire—literally. From tornadoes and wildfires to multimillion-dollar business projects, he’s learned that leading in uncertainty requires more than grit—it demands clarity, structure, and emotional mastery.

“What got you here won’t get you there… It’s no longer about doing the stuff anymore. It’s about the people part of the business.”

We unpacked his Order to Chaos model, including how to go from frantic startup hustle to focused leadership, and why so many founders stall when they can’t make the leap from expert to people leader.

“I’ve coached thousands of leaders and so many of them say: ‘I love my job. It’s the people part that’s hard.’ And I get it.”

You’ll also hear how he builds high-performing autonomous teams—sometimes from scratch in the middle of an evacuation zone—and what leaders of leaders must do to scale influence across organizational layers.

Topics we explored:

• How crisis leadership principles apply to business growth
  
  
• What entrepreneurs get wrong about scaling
  
  
• Why frameworks beat improvisation under pressure
  
  
• The 1-3-1 method for decision-making and ownership
  
  
• How to coach your top performers and manage your weakest links
  
  
• Moving from command-and-control to a support model
  
  

“We’re not building the bus as we’re driving it anymore. We’ve got the brights on now.”

Key Takeaways:

• Self-mastery comes first: “Leadership always started with me… am I managing my sleep well? My nervous system?”
  
  
• Productivity is non-negotiable: Learn about “time fencing” and how to stay focused in the eye of the storm.
  
  
• Influence without micromanaging: “Come to me with one problem, three options, and one recommendation.”
  
  
• From chaos to clarity: Frameworks like OTC and 1-3-1 aren’t just tools—they’re lifelines.
  
  

Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a team, or managing through the unknown, Daryl’s stories and systems offer an essential blueprint for staying calm, focused, and effective—even when the metaphorical tornado hits.