High-Stakes Leadership in Turbulent Times

Book excerpt: Even the greatest organizations suffer great disasters. Are you ready for the storms that are looming? From a leader who has managed high-flying, high-stakes, and high-tech organizations comes a book about what it really takes to lead people and institutions through a major crisis, through the most perilous and unforgiving circumstances, and to survive and thrive against all odds. JetBlue co-founder and former Navy TOPGUN chief instructor Dr. Mike Barger helps us see why exceptional leadership is immensely challenging but vitally important when organizations find themselves amid turbulent times. He gives it to us straight in a book that is as relevant for aspiring leaders (like MBA students) as it is for seasoned leaders (Fortune 1,000 executives). Every leader will be forced to guide a team through a crisis, and it's time for everyone -- from small business owners to nonprofit directors to the corporate C-suite -- to make plans for being their best when the worst comes calling. LOVE Your Stakeholders, Every Step of the Way Every organization -- regardless of industry or size -- has valued stakeholders, like customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and competitors ... and many also work with communities, regulators, and the media. With so many stakeholders to think about, it can be easy to neglect them, forgetting about their unique (and sometimes competing) needs and perspectives. In a crisis, that neglect translates into further catastrophe. In his debut business book, High-Stakes Leadership in Turbulent Times, Mike Barger suggests that no matter where you work and lead, stakeholders are your greatest assets ... in good times and bad. Travel with Barger into emergency command centers and airport terminals, where key decisions were made during a 2007 JetBlue Airways winter-storm crisis now infamously known as the Valentine's Day Massacre. Learn how to step up when you mess up, how to engage and serve your stakeholders, and how to prepare yourself and your organization -- operationally, emotionally, and culturally -- before, during, and after the going gets tough. Learn to Effectively Navigate the Challenges of Significant Organizational Disruptions Crises and organizational disruptions have become increasingly common in today's fast-moving, constantly evolving business environment. The world is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA), and leaders at every level must be prepared for the unexpected. High-Stakes Leadership in Turbulent Times helps readers discover how and why an understanding of various stakeholder perspectives can inform and dramatically improve a leader's response to events that threaten an organization's very survival. Learn about developing individual and organizational resilience -- the ability to anticipate potential threats; to cope effectively with adverse events when they occur; and to adapt to changing conditions to ensure a viable path forward for yourself, your team, and your organization. Learn how to estimate what kinds of crises might be on your horizon, how your stakeholders are likely to react, and how to effectively communicate your way through it. A game-changing, organization-saving book ... complete with chapter-end activities, universally relevant action plans, and reflection questions to help you grow as a high-stakes leader.