You're It


Book Description

Become a better crisis leader while equipping yourself with the tools for every day transformative leadership Today, in an instant, leaders can find themselves face-to-face with crisis. An active shooter. A media controversy. A data breach. In You're It, the faculty of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University takes you to the front lines of some of the toughest decisions facing our nation's leaders-from how to mobilize during a hurricane or in the aftermath of a bombing to halting a raging pandemic. They also take readers through the tough decision-making inside the world's largest companies, hottest startups, and leading nonprofits. The authors introduce readers to the pragmatic model and methods of Meta-Leadership. They show you how to understand what is happening during a moment of crisis and change, what to do about it, and how to hone these skills to lead high-performing teams. Then, when crisis hits, you can pivot to be the leader people follow when it matters most. A book for turbulent times, You're It is essential reading for anyone preparing to lead an adaptive team through crisis and change.




Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis


Book Description

One of the country's most trusted leaders offers time-tested and real world advice for leading in economic hard times From business giant Bill George, the acclaimed author of Wall Street Journal's bestseller True North, comes the just-in-time guide for anyone in a leadership position facing today's unprecedented economic challenges. The former CEO of Medtronic draws from his own in-the-trenches experience and lessons from leaders (representing an array of companies) who have weathered tough economic storms. With straight talk and clear directions, George shows leaders specifically what they must do to become strong leaders and survive any crisis. His seven lessons include: Face Reality, Starting with Yourself; Never Waste a Good Crisis; and Be Aggressive: This is Your Best Chance to Win in the Market. Seven Lesson for Leading in Crisis is a survival kit for anyone in a leadership position. A concise handbook for applying proven leadership lessons in tough times Written by Bill George one of America's most trusted business leaders and author of True North and Authentic Leadership Offers realistic actions leaders can take to put their companies on the right long-term path Seven Lesson for Leading in Crisis gives leaders a solid strategy for staying the course.




High-Stakes Leadership


Book Description

What makes some leaders so effective when the stakes are high, while others fall short? Why are some able to not only survive but to lead their organizations to new heights even in risky, fast-changing times? The answer is succinct but multi-layered: such leaders display courage, judgment, and fortitude. High-stakes leadership does not require unnatural powers, nor is it predicated on a dangerous situation. The three signature character traits can be cultivated by anyone at any level in any organization, big or small. Organizational and leadership consultant Constance Dierickx describes high-stakes leadership in a simple, three-part model that illuminates the mindsets, strategies, and tactics leaders must draw upon to make tough decisions, take an unpopular stand, or ignore convention, providing real-world examples across a range of sectors and industries. Dierickx developed her model of high-stakes leadership to help her clients—executives at organizations ranging from start-ups to nonprofits to large, global companies—better define what they need to bring strategy to life. This, she found, is the great gulf in business, the vast space between idea and results. High-Stakes Leadership helps leaders sharpen their ability to: act decisively, with clarity and focus test ideas using reason, and course correct as needed be resolute and inspire others to continue, even in the face of challenges Leading requires the courage to make conscious decisions about what to do, the judgment to separate information from short-term trends, and the fortitude to remain true to oneself and one’s mission. When leaders do these things, they also become teachers, leading their teams by example, often without realizing it. The essential aspects of good leadership endure even as the environment and tactics change. Indeed, courage, judgment, and fortitude are not merely tools for survival, they are the means by which we sculpt the future.




Crisis Leadership


Book Description

The text presents a systematic, behavioral model that underlies crisis management, showing which personality functions are required for managing and preparing for major crises. The book discusses the extreme importance of Emotional IQ in handling, responding, and preparing for any crisis. Crisis Leadership presents the findings from new national surveys and new concrete, easy-to-understand models for implementing programs of proactive leadership. The combination of models-including a comprehensive look at what happens before, during, and after a crisis-creates a truly integrated and systematic approach.




Crisis Leadership


Book Description

Anyone in a leadership position is only too aware that we live in uncertain times: disaster can strike any business, at any time, and usually without warning. Public institutions, too, face a range of threats – from global recession, resurgent terrorism and a stream of appalling natural disasters. For leaders in such organisations, these crisis situations can present both opportunities and threats. How they lead through such challenging times will propel their careers to new heights – or destroy them completely. Crisis Leadership examines the challenges faced by leaders at each stage of the crisis 'lifecycle', from the instant they learn of the crisis, through to moments of critical decision-making and the final tumultuous days. Tim Johnson offers a unique insight into the lessons learned by people in the most challenging of situations. Blended with operational guidance from the author's extensive experience in crisis management, Crisis Leadership provides an overview of the crisis 'lifecycle', to ensure that readers will come away from this book with a deeper appreciation of the critical nature of each key stage and the leadership challenges they bring – from the first signs of an emerging crisis to dealing with the long-term consequences they can create.




Sometimes You Win--Sometimes You Learn


Book Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell believes that any setback, whether professional or personal, can be turned into a step forward when you possess the right tools to turn a loss into a gain. Drawing on nearly fifty years of leadership experience, Dr. Maxwell provides a roadmap for winning by examining the eleven elements that constitute the DNA of learners who succeed in the face of problems, failure, and losses. 1. Humility - The Spirit of Learning 2. Reality - The Foundation of Learning 3. Responsibility - The First Step of Learning 4. Improvement - The Focus of Learning 5. Hope - The Motivation of Learning 6. Teachability - The Pathway of Learning 7. Adversity - The Catalyst of Learning 8. Problems - The Opportunities of Learning9. Bad Experiences - The Perspective for Learning10. Change - The Price of Learning 11. Maturity - The Value of Learning Learning is not easy during down times, it takes discipline to do the right thing when something goes wrong. As John Maxwell often points out--experience isn't the best teacher; evaluated experience is.




Crisis Leadership


Book Description

"Nothing tests a leader like a crisis. The highly charged, dramatic events surrounding a crisis profoundly affect the people in an organization and can even threaten the organization's survival. But there are actions a leader can take before, during, and after a crisis to effectively reduce the duration and impact of these extremely difficult situations. At its center, effective crisis leadership is comprised of three things - communication, clarity of vision and values, and caring relationships. Leaders who develop, pay attention to, and practice these qualities go a long way toward handling the human dimension of a crisis. In the end, it's all about the people."




Leadership U


Book Description

Accelerating Through the Crisis Curve Leadership is all about others—inspiring them to believe, then enabling that belief to become reality. That’s the essence of Leadership U: it starts with ‘U’ but it’s not about ‘U.’ Those timeless words are timelier than ever today, as leaders look to accelerate through the crisis curve. As author Gary Burnison observes, “There will likely be more change in the next two years than we have seen in the last twenty.” Now, in Leadership U: Accelerating Through the Crisis Curve, Burnison lays out a framework—his “Six Degrees of Leadership”—to show leaders how to create change. Anticipate – foreseeing what lies ahead, amid ambiguity and uncertainty that are throttled up like never before Navigate – course-correcting in real time, to keep the organization on an even keel Communication – constantly connecting with others; the leader is both the messenger and the message Listen – breaking down the organizational hierarchy to gather insights at all levels—especially what the leader doesn’t want to hear Learn – applying learning agility, to “know what to do when you don’t know what to do” Lead – empowering others in a bottom-up culture that is more nimble, agile, innovative, and entrepreneurial than ever before. Only by embracing these truths can leaders master another ‘U’—the “crisis curve” that will completely disrupt the business landscape. The world has changed—forever. The old days are fine to reminiscence about, but you can’t stay there. Today leadership means becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. As Burnison says, when a door closes, leaders cannot afford to stand there, staring at it. It’s a “get up or give up” moment. For leaders, the only choice is to find and open another door. Leadership U defines and inspires the pathway through that door.




Forged in Crisis


Book Description

Presents a portrait of five extraordinary figures--Ernest Shackleton, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson--to illuminate how great leaders are made in times of adversity and the diverse skills they summon in order to prevail.




Blindsided


Book Description

When "blindsided" by a crisis, are you ready to be the real leader who brings strength of character and split-second action to restore a "new normal"? Workplace violence, natural disaster, or worse -- it comes down to who you are and what you do in the face of the test. Learn time-tested skills to make a difference in a crisis! In this new, completely updated and expanded 2nd edition of Bruce Blythe's Blindsided, he walks you through the foolproof step-by-step system to become the kind of leader he calls a "crisis whisperer." Result: You will never be "blindsided" again! In the first half of the book, Blythe lands you in the middle of a fast-breaking crisis – an active shooter in the corridor outside your office -- and uses real-world case studies, examples, and checklists to show what a top-notch leader would need to do in each phase of the crisis. Then, in the second half of the book, he demonstrates how to apply this knowledge to develop and implement your own crisis management plan.Blindsided is two books in one: Crisis Response and Crisis Preparedness. NEW in the 2nd edition: How to apply the "Reasonable Person Test" and "Wall Street Journal Test" to crisis decision management decisions in advance. New chapter on Reputation Management shows how to make the right decisions, before reputation and bottom line suffer! How to avoid falling into the "Crisis Red Zone," in which your leadership effectiveness can evaporate. How to lead the workforce into a "New Normal," even in the wake of the most upsetting and disorienting crisis. How to develop Crisis Response Teams as part of your Crisis Management Plan - selecting and training the right people for the job. How to anticipate important Crisis Management risks that are trending and will be part of your future - and how to prepare for them in a Crisis Management Plan that works for today and tomorrow. Practical forms, checklists, cases studies, real-life examples, glossary, index, discussion questions, and other take-and-use tools: Quick use response guide at the end of each chapter - all 15 can form a handy pocket guide. Incident checklists for 9 major types of crisis - accidental death, chemical/toxic exposure, earthquake, and more. Special guide for organizing in advance to address the needs of families of those who are injured or lost in an event - with sample conversations. Instructor's Manual and 300+ classroom slides available upon book adoption. Professors: Request a complimentary copy. QUOTES “Takes the reader through some of the toughest moments in the life of a leader...moments that create legendary leaders or cut short promising careers.” - Daniel Diermeier, Dean of the Harris School of Public Policy and Emmett Dedmon Professor of Public Administration, University of Chicago "Having served as CEO of a Fortune 500 company, I can personally attest to the value of the crisis management system Blythe outlines." - Luke R. Corbett, Lead Independent Director of OGE Energy Corporation and Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kerr-McGee Corporation. “I loved the first edition...and Bruce's experience and insight since that time has expanded to make this [second edition]...an advanced textbook which incorporates the many substantial changes in our world over the past decade – from the expansion of terrorism to communicative diseases to the role of the Internet in all crises.” – Jonathan Bernstein, President of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc.