Learning from Catastrophes: Strategies for Reaction and Response

15. Developing Leadership to Avert and Mitigate Disasters

Michael Useem

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Overview

Drawing on the experience of two major companies and two firefighting groups that faced catastrophes, this chapter emphasizes the importance of leadership development for averting and mitigating disasters. Leadership development for managers is essential, and many well-established methods for doing so have emerged in recent years. For those responsible for managing risk and leading organizations that face severe tests, the best time to prepare their understanding of leadership precepts is well before their leadership must be exercised. And because many leadership precepts are essential but unmemorable, anchoring those ...