Leading through Crises
Uncontained corporate crises like the oil spill following the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, Toyota’s handling of faulty acceleration pedals in its cars, or NASA’s dealing with early warnings on the space shuttle Columbia can derail even very successful large corporations. Therefore managers need to have an understanding of the possible dynamics of crises in different stages and how to stay on top of events.
The program will focus on the issues of actively managing high profile crises in complex organizations. We will explore the reasons why managers often ignore early warnings and underestimate the impact of an unfolding crisis. You will learn how to prioritize your activities during different stages of a crisis as well as how to lead and communicate. We will also look at the issue error management as this is of particular importance in complex situations. Participants will not only learn lessons from the corporate world but also from other areas like airline pilots as well as the military.
The program addresses the core managerial aspects on different organizational levels that are vital in not merely surviving the often violent dynamics of crisis situations but also focus on strategies on how to transfer lessons from crises to organizational change.
Target Audience
You are a senior manager within a complex organization or in charge of a critical unit in your company.Key Topics
- Identifying crises
- Stages in crisis situations
- Maintaining control
- Communication
- Decision processes
- Effective error management
- Leadership in teamwork
Take-Home Value
The program will provide conceptual frameworks for managers in dealing with crisis situations that will severely disrupt organizational flows, processes, and interaction of employees. Participants will be analyzing crisis situations from various organizational backgrounds with positive as well as negative outcomes. Thus participants will conclude the program with an understanding of what it takes to be prepared for and how to successfully lead through a crisis situation.Meet the Faculty
Jan U. Hagen (Program Director)Full biography
Jan U. Hagen is a member of the ESMT faculty as well as Head of Practice Group Financial Services, ESMT Customized Solutions. Prior to ESMT, he was an assistant to a member of the board of Deutsche Bank, senior manager at A.T. Kearney, Principal with Booz Allen & Hamilton, and a Partner at Consileon Business Consultancy.
Erika Hayes James
Full biography
Erika Hayes James is Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. She teaches Leading Organizations and Crisis Leadership in Darden’s MBA program and in executive education programs. She conducts research in the areas of crisis leadership and race and gender in organizations and has published in several leading academic journals. In her work with executives, James conducts programs or consults on how to make decisions under pressure and how to build trust in the workplace and has worked with several Fortune 500 companies. She joined the Darden faculty in 2001. Prior to her Darden appointment, James served on the faculty at the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University and the Goizuetta Business School at Emory University. She has also served as a visiting faculty member at the Harvard Business School.
Zhike Lei
Full biography
Zhike Lei joined ESMT as an assistant professor in January, 2009. Previously she was a professor at George Mason University's School of Management. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Zhike also holds a MBA degree in Marketing and Management from Illinois State University and Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from Beijing Institute of Business, China.
ESMT European School of