Crisis Leadership

Channeling Churchill's declarations

On June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill delivered a speech over the radio, as families all over England gathered around to listen. From Churchill, leaders can learn how to give others hope in a time of hardship or fear.

How to carefully execute a forced exit

When Olympus Corp. CEO Michael C. Woodford got fired recently, he fought back by going to the press with claims of financial wrongdoing by the company. His is a lesson in how to carefully orchestrate a forced exit.

A Coast Guard lesson in preparedness

Video of a dramatic rescue off the Rhode Island coast demonstrates not just the courage of the U.S. Coast Guard but also its preparation.

C5 response to leading during disasters

When the World Trade Center was hit on 9/11, Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer happened to already be on the scene. That made him the first FDNY fire chief to take command. What we’ve learned since then, he says, is that leaders don’t simply “com­­mand and control” during a catastrophic event. They go beyond that.

Corporate crisis a career-killer?

A corporate crisis could kill your career or it could position you for future success. Tips for handling a corporate crisis in a way that benefits your career: Do extensive homework before joining an employer. Resist the desire to quit. Keep meticulous records about your crisis management.

Jefferson's crisis communiqués: a model

The wartime letters of Thomas Jefferson to George Washington and other Revolution leaders offer a vivid glimpse into the mind of a great leader in a time of crisis. Most of them contain these four elements:

Be ready for any eventuality

One way to hang onto your optimism is to have a plan in the event of a worst-case scenario. As Winston Churchill did, have a backup plan in place because you might just need it.

Flying high in the face of disaster

As the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted and spewed ash across the North Atlantic, all of Europe’s air space was forced to close, grounding hundreds of flights. Heathrow Airport was a mass of confusion and anger, but British Airways swung quickly into action.

Hackers give CEO a quick lesson in security

CEOs don’t often busy themselves with IT considerations, until a crisis threatens. So it was for Ted Chung, CEO of South Korea’s largest consumer-finance company, who was told by hackers that if he didn’t pay them $500,000, they’d release confidential information. The experience taught him several key lessons:

3 signs you're facing a tough call

About 95% of the decisions a CEO makes could be made by an intelligent high school graduate, says speaker and author John C. Maxwell. It’s the remaining 5% that they get paid for. Those are the tough calls, and the way a leader handles them is what separates him from everyone else.

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