Medical errors were recently identified as the third leading cause of death in the United States. Many of these errors result from deficiencies in nontechnical skills (NTS), including effective communication and appropriate task delegation. Rapid response teams (RRTs) operate in error-prone, high-stakes environments where elevated clinical risk, substantial time pressure, and the need to perform multiple actions in parallel coexist. Borrowing from the aviation industry and the military, medicine is placing a growing emphasis on instructing healthcare providers, particularly members of teams, in the NTS of crisis management. Barriers to developing these skills can be overcome through encouraging standardization and practice using realistic simulation. When directing a team in the care of a deteriorating patient, RRT leaders must introduce team members and their roles, maintain an assertive yet inclusive tone, practice closed loop communication, control the crowd, maintain situational awareness, promote a flattened hierarchy, and perform regular debriefing sessions.