The staff meeting was set to start in 15 minutes. My plan was to brief the leaders on my team and preparing them to cascade the message to their teams.

Overnight, the WeWork juggernaut had slammed into a brick wall. Adam Newmann, the CEO had been fired. The media was having a field day, tearing the company apart with one negative story after the other.

Our senior leaders were working to figure out next steps, but they didn’t have anything to share yet. So, despite spending the entire morning digging up as much information as I could, I came up empty-handed.

And then, just in the nick of time, it hit me. Yes, I didn’t have anything useful to share about the current situation, but from experience I had learned the hard way what really matters to people during tough times. So, in those 15 minutes, sitting in a conference room, waiting for my team to join, I wrote 10 bullet points down as a guide.

I am sharing them here (lightly edited for posting). Since it is not situation specific, perhaps you’ll find them useful.

1. As you prepare to meet with your teams, I am always here to answer questions and support you. Leadership is tested in times like these—start by acknowledging that with them.

2. Be authentic. Try not to get too emotional. But don’t hide your vulnerability. We are all in the same boat and your teams will appreciate it.

3. It’s alright to share your feelings, your personal narratives and challenges.

4. DON’T speculate. DON’T answer hypotheticals. Stay clear of ‘what-ifs’, like potential layoffs. Instead, steer the conversation to things we do know and can control, such as, making sure that we are continuing to work on things that matter to the core business.

5. You don’t have to tow the party line if you don’t believe it yourself. But, don’t contradict it either. Offer a neutral stance like — “I believe it’s already been addressed and I don’t have anything to add”. Protect your credibility and don’t break trust.

6. This is an opportunity for us to learn and grow as leaders. Be visible, walk the floor, engage with the team, exude confidence. Actions speak volumes, so let’s not add to the chaos. If we run around acting like headless chicken, people will panic.

7. Things will get better. But, in all likelihood they will get worse before they get better and it is our job as leaders to steer the company and our teams successfully through this crisis.

8. People will need time and space to process what’s happening. Everyone is fighting a battle that no one knows about and this situation might complicate things. So, approach reactions on a case-by-case basis.

9. Gripes go up, not down. This holds even if you’re close with your team members. They’re looking up to you—possibly more than you realize, in times like these.

10. Please don’t try to be a hero. Take care of yourself. Put your oxygen mask on before helping others. Connect with your peers, talk to me and ask for help.