Crisis management

A decision-making framework that helps foster a sense of control during uncertain times.

How you respond to a crisis will have repercussions for years to come.

Pandemics, global warming, cyberattacks, and other catastrophes are a question of when, not if.

The culture of Japan tends to be outer-directed. Thus, taking care of other people becomes much more central to its value system. This is one reason why Japanese companies tend to look out for the welfare of their employees in such an effective fashion. The impact of this at the national level can be seen […]

Today, The Washington Post debuts a new Web-based discussion series called “On Leadership,” and I am pleased to be part of a panel of thinkers who will weigh in every Tuesday on a timely question or challenge. This morning’s question: What should Detroit’s CEOs have done differently to make their case in Washington about a […]

Health care organizations should consider benefits like temporary leaves, reduced hours, or workflow changes.

Human suffering is certainly our main concern in the immediate aftermath of Japan’s 3/11 tragedy. But even as we focus on immediate human needs, we cannot avoid recognizing — and coping with — the long economic shadow cast by this disaster. The direct impact on real economic activity worldwide is already being felt. The destruction […]

In 1994, Continental Airlines was headed for a crash landing--it was quickly running out of customers and cash. Today, the airline is one of the great...

Terranola is a wildly successful company with a market cap of $8.1 billion. Its product, the Express granola-bar-making machine, is on kitchen counters...

An analysis of 360-degree assessments done during the pandemic.

This post is part of our in-depth look at Obama's First 90 Days in office. One of the core challenges of turnaround leadership is how much to share the...

Start by understanding how habits have changed.

In unstable times the routines organizations use to get work done often break down. When that happens, teams need to shift gears quickly and add two other...

Three decision-making traps.

As ports, highways, railways, and airports run out of room, the world faces a looming transportation crisis. The current meltdown masks the threat, but...

Executives in the financial services industry, which faces intense scrutiny, should learn from the experiences of the oil, gas, and mining industry.

Surprises are the new normal, and they are not fun. I was about to write a joyous paean to Earth Day and the glories of celebrating the great outdoors, when volcanic ash closed European airports. My flights to a global health summit were cancelled, making me cranky about nature instead. I had just returned from […]

When a mobile-payment company is hacked, business slips. The board believes that having someone publicly take the fall will stabilize the situation, but...

A review of the research.

It started with a moon-shot challenge.