There are weeks when the calendar and geopolitics meet and force us to stop. This Holy Week is one of them
I'm writing this in a week in which the war between the United States, Israel and Iran is entering its second month and continues to dominate the international agenda. At the same time, Christian tradition marks the quietest day of the journey: Good Friday. It's not just a coincidence in the calendar, but a mirror of what we're living through: a time of tension, uncertainty and decisions taken without full visibility. It is in this context that many organizations continue to believe that silence protects them, when in fact it exposes them.
Christian tradition reminds us that omission is also an act: whether it's keeping quiet, washing our hands or pretending to be neutral. In business, it's no different. When conflict, inflation and risk mark the time, saying nothing about risks, people and choices is, in itself, a message that benefits no one.
The major global studies of risk and trust in 2026 converge on the same diagnosis: prolonged turbulence, the erosion of trust and permanent scrutiny of every decision. Markets, social expectations and reputational risks are changing at a pace that no longer allows for a delayed response. Reputation is no longer a consequence, but a regulator of organizational behaviour: it conditions access to credit, the attractiveness of talent and the resilience needed in times of stress. At a time of upheaval, the illusion of control is disappearing faster than the responsibility to decide.
I see it every week in the questions that come up in the classroom, based on the real-life cases we work on: “What do we say to customers when we don't have all the answers?”; “How do we talk about growth in times of conflict, inflation and real risk?”. These questions reveal that reality is changing faster than the ability of many organizations to explain what they are doing.
In view of this, communication that still “accompanies” strategy has already arrived too late. Communicating today means interpreting signals, anticipating impacts and guiding decisions with an awareness of internal and external consequences. The role is no longer just to transmit messages, but to generate meaning and context. It is not enough to explain what is changing. It is necessary to clarify why it is changing, what the risks are and what is required of customers, employees and partners. When this doesn't happen, a void is created. It's not left unfilled: it's occupied by mistrust and misinformation, precisely two of the reputational risks that will most concern citizens and analysts in 2026.
In B2B businesses, this is particularly evident: decision cycles are long, interdependence is high and information is shared widely. Not talking about risks, deadlines or alternatives and contingency plans is communicating, even if you're silent.
Growth remains imperative, especially in a country where so many companies make their living from exports and long-term B2B relationships. But growth can no longer be dissociated from the responsibility with which we grow. Strategy, sustainability and reputation have become inseparable dimensions. Stakeholders are not satisfied with minimum compliance: they demand continuous demonstration of positive impact and active risk prevention. They want to know how the company is exposed to geopolitical risks, how it protects its people, how it ensures continuity of service and what criteria it uses when choosing markets and partners.
Every public gesture is therefore an act of risk management. It's not just about having an appealing narrative. It's about creating and protecting value. Organizations that actively listen, take responsibility and communicate transparently are the ones that show the greatest capacity to get through times of tension and emerge from them even stronger. This is exactly what audiences today say they expect from brands: that they know how to act and explain, especially when something goes wrong.
In times of crossroads, it's not the absence of risk that defines leadership, but the way in which you take the lead. Because there are times when silence doesn't mean prudence, but the absence of a position. And in communication, this position is never neutral.