Welcome to the second edition of the brand new Lead The Way column, where we give the spotlight to various community members and examine their natural leadership skills. Leaders often face internal conflict, staff disputes or ally tensions. This edition explores how some would handle a leadership crisis within their ranks.
Designed by Master DS
Scenario: The Sudden Defection
To put it into perspective, your army has been on a months-long winning streak when a trusted top high-ranking officer suddenly defects to another army. The shockwaves ripple through your ranks, raising concerns about loyalty and trust in leadership. Morale diminishes, relationships strain, and doubts begin to surface. The challenge isn’t just addressing the defector—it’s managing the fallout. Their departure may leave a power vacuum, risking confusion or even chaos.
As a leader, swift and thoughtful action is crucial. Do you confront the situation publicly, risking more unrest, or address it quietly and hope it fades? How do you keep the remaining members confident in their leadership? You must also consider the risk of others following suit, especially if the defector had influence. Rebuilding trust becomes your top priority—reassuring your army that, despite the betrayal, its direction and unity remain intact.
As a leader, making the right decisions in times of crisis is crucial, as one wrong move can have lasting consequences. Club Penguin Armies reached out to several community members to lead the way and offer their perspectives on handling such a pivotal moment in leadership.
How would you respond to the news of a trusted officer defecting?
Elsa, Templars of Club Penguin: I would be upset to the news of a trusted HCOM defecting to another army.
Sanya7, Army of Club Penguin: Well, it depends on the circumstances. Did they defect to an allied army, a neutral army, or an enemy army? I would first conduct an investigation to understand why they really defected. Was it because they were a spy? Were they unhappy with the army? Or was that individual just really problematic? I would try to take steps to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again, and communicate with them to understand why they defected, as I believe communication is very important in understanding what was going on.
Yoni773, Doritos of Club Penguin: I would discuss with the staff team what happened and that anyone who does this will not be taken back into the army unless we have fully gained back their trust and loyalty towards our army
Master DS, Rebel Penguin Federation: I would be very upset and confused. Officers are supposed to be trusted members of the staff and they are the people that troops tend to reach out to if they feel too daunted by the higher chain of command. The first thing I would do is reach out to said officer that defected to try and work out the issue(s) and try to understand what has happened that led them to such a decision.
Trey, Void Troops: How would I respond? Well I’d be very much in shock cause they have been there for so long and It’d be geniuinley weird to me
What steps would you take to keep your army united after the defection?
Elsa, Templars of Club Penguin: I would take many steps by talking with the leaders about making a new staff applications and start hiring more staff!
Sanya7, Army of Club Penguin: I would communicate with my army staff members and talk to our members in DMs to clear up any misconceptions and ensure that the army moves forward. As one of the HCOM of ACP, it’s my responsibility to make sure our community is happy and that we remain as transparent as possible with our members. In the end, we move on—just because one trusted officer defected doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, even if some people have a habit of thinking that way
Yoni773, Doritos of Club Penguin: I would discuss with the staff team if they have any issues inside the army which is giving them the thoughts on leaving for a different army and would try and resolve the issues.
Master DS, Rebel Penguin Federation: One of the most important steps I would take is to release a statement regarding the defection to the rest of my army so that everyone is aware of what’s going on. Transparency is one of the most important things in an army because it shows that you care about the community and that you trust them with this information. The next step is to have a deep conversation with the remaining officers and basically check up on them to see how they are holding up after the defection. Many may feel betrayed by the defected officer and one has to make sure the rest are okay to keep the team strong.
Trey, Void Troops: What steps would we take? well to be quite honest I dont even know cause it’d be so much to deal with but we would have to think of something to come back
How do you balance transparency with maintaining authority in this situation?
Elsa, Templars of Club Penguin: I’d balance both authority and transparency by bringing peace and tranquility to the army.
Sanya7, Army of Club Penguin: By gathering the relevant information and compiling it, I would then discuss with my fellow HCOM members what details should be released, depending on the reason for the defection. Was it because they were unhappy and simply wanted to join another allied army to try something new? Or was it because they were a spy sent by a foreign army to extract information from ACP staff and spread it to enemy armies? If it were the latter, I would release a detailed announcement explaining the circumstances of the staff member’s actions and ensure our community is made aware of their transgressions as we’d like to be as transparent as possible to our community members as we serve them
Yoni773, Doritos of Club Penguin: I think that you should DM the person asking why they have left for a different army. You should tell people that if they get dmed by the person who left to join them that they should report it to me and to ignore them, and also tell the staff team to keep their heads up and stay motivated. just because one member has left it doesn’t mean the whole army will collapse
Master DS, Rebel Penguin Federation: As I’ve said before, transparency is one of the most important things between leaders and their community as it conveys trust and helps keep bonds strong. I think one of the ways to maintain the balance between transparency and authority is to make boundaries very clear between what’s acceptable and what’s not. You want to create an environment friendly enough so that people feel comfortable reaching out if something is wrong but also draw clear boundaries so they know that not all actions can be excusable.
Trey, Void Troops: I’d straight up tell them what happened cause either way everyones gonna find out eventually by a leaker and it’d be better to tell right then so we can work on how to rebuild.
What long-term strategies would you use to rebuild trust and prevent further defections?
Elsa, Templars of Club Penguin: Hiring more staff, making sure they are dedicated and hard working and trustworthy!
Sanya7, Army of Club Penguin: Like I said, it depends on the reason for defecting. If it was because they were unhappy, I would communicate with my staff members through private messages to understand their concerns and issues with the army. I’d then hold a meeting with HCOM to discuss these concerns and take steps to improve the internal structure of our army to prevent further defections. To rebuild trust, I would focus on hosting more staff game nights and strengthening the bond within our team—because, in the end, we all want what’s best for our army
Yoni773, Doritos of Club Penguin: same as my answer to question two really, resolve any issues inside the server to prevent it from happening once more
Master DS, Rebel Penguin Federation: Drawing clear boundaries regarding certain actions is the best way to go about preventing future defections. We all go through some tough times in our lives, which may impact our roles within the army we may serve in. As much as creating a welcoming community is important so that people feel like they can express their frustrations, some hard lines must also be established so that people don’t take the forgiveness for granted. For example, if someone who defected decided they wanted to come back, giving them back a troop rank wouldn’t be to terrible but their allowance back into the staff team should be reconsidered. Different armies may take different stances on the issue, and it should be thoroughly discussed among the leaders as well as the staff so that everyone is comfortable with the decision.
Trey, Void Troops: What long-term strategies would you use to rebuild trust and prevent further defections? A long term strategies I would use a system and use trusted staff and leaders to make sure this didn’t happen EVER again and to rebuild Id see if the staff team would help and advisors and leaders were to make sure this person was trusted with such power so they wouldn’t do it.
Moments of crisis can define a leader just as much as moments of victory. Whether it’s through calm communication, decisive action, or long-term planning, each approach shared in this edition reveals that leadership is never one-size-fits-all. The path forward is never easy, but those who can lead the way in difficult times are often the ones remembered most. How would you respond if faced with betrayal in your ranks? Would you lead with empathy, strategy, or strength—or perhaps all three?
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