Читать книгу The Art of Crisis Leadership - Kevin Cowherd - Страница 7

Foreword

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” the old adage says. It was easy to make profits in the stock market when the technology boom was driving all stocks higher. It was easy to make a killing in real estate when real estate seemed to be appreciating with no ceiling in site. And it was easy to be an effective leader in prosperous times when even poor decisions seemed to be self-correcting. The true test of leadership, however, is the same as the true test of friendship: crisis, adversity.

Other than the study of religion, the study of leadership may represent the oldest recorded intellectual pursuit in human history, but surprisingly few books focus on crisis leadership. If ever there was time to study crisis leadership, it’s now! Global affairs seem in disarray, with conflict being fueled from Russia, ISIS, North Korea, Iran, and China. Within North America, drug cartels appear to have extraordinary influence. In the United States, financial markets are experiencing unprecedented volatility, many large urban centers are undergoing economic hardship, the quality and availability of healthcare seems questionable, normal political discourse has turned into paralyzing vitriol, racial tensions have increased, and the gap between the wealthy and middle class has widened. Admittedly, volatility is part of the human condition. There will be peaks and valleys in the trajectory of every human endeavor. Having conflict and experiencing setbacks are to be expected, but what is needed in the wake of such adversity is crisis leadership that fosters RESILIENCE! Whether the crises are personal, organizational, or communal, leadership that promotes resilience will be that factor that determines success from failure.

I am no stranger to human resilience. In 1992, I was asked to assist in fostering the resilience of the social fabric of the country of Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion and the Gulf War liberation. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as a consultant to the NYPD and the New Jersey State Police, I trained first responders to be resilient and later assisted large organizations in being resilient in the wake of the financial crash of 2008. I taught organizations to foster an organizational culture of resilience. I continue to do that today as a professor at The Johns Hopkins University and as a consultant to many large organizations. I’ve authored 20 books including Secrets of Resilient Leadership (٢٠٠٩) and Stronger: Discover the Resilience You Need to Succeed! (2015) that share my experiences in ٣٣ countries on six continents as I’ve tried to promote human resilience in the wake of adversity. In those experiences, I’ve observed that wherever organizations and communities successfully rebound after a crisis, it is largely because of extraordinary crisis leadership—leadership that fosters resilience. Whether working in the Middle East, Oklahoma City, New York City, or working with elite first responders or U.S. Navy SEALs, I’ve seen crisis leadership as an essential of organizational resilience.

The book you are about to read is written by Rob Weinhold, Founder and Chief Executive of Fallston Group and a pioneer in the field of crisis leadership. I’ve worked with Rob on numerous occasions and witnessed first-hand his masterful ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the wake of great adversity. Now Rob shares the richness of his experience in a book that is a unique blend of entertainment and priceless practicality. The book effortlessly glides from one example to another with very important lessons learned. Anyone who is in a leadership position, or who aspires to leadership, should read this most valuable contribution. For as any wise leader knows, it’s not IF crisis strikes, but merely a matter of WHEN. Will you be prepared when it does? The lessons in this book will prepare you to lead before, during, and after a crisis.

George S. Everly, Jr., PhD, FAPM

The Johns Hopkins University