Stronger in the Broken Places: Nine Lessons for Turning Crisis into Triumph - Hardcover

Witt, James Lee; Morgan, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805070001 ISBN 13: 9780805070002

Publisher: Times Books, 2002

Synopsis

From the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, how to manage your business in the face of challenge, change, and potential disaster

For James Lee Witt, the man who rebuilt America's emergency response system, the most inspiring and effective lessons-about responsibility, team building, planning, and taking action-have guided real-life heroes through extraordinary situations. These lessons can be applied to business to guide you through the pressures you face each week-or once in a career or a lifetime.

Whether describing earthquake preparation in California, moving a Missouri town out of a floodplain, or shoring up walls and spirits after the Oklahoma City bombing, Witt captures the moments when leaders step forward, how they motivate others, and what they need to triumph over adversity. Witt's home-spun wisdom teaches us to "Tear Down the Stovepipes" to build effective teamwork by thinking horizontally, not vertically; to find energizing people who improve morale, whether a V.P.'s secretary or a key client, since "A Lightning Rod Works Both Ways"; and to establish systems for capturing what happens-what goes right and what goes wrong-to ensure that every challenge leaves you "Stronger in the Broken Places."

To bring home the ten lessons in this inspiring and useful book, Witt shares examples and strategies from corporations-from Malden Mills and Intel to Swissair and Kmart-who have overcome crisis by applying the same principles to their business every day.

About this title

About the Author

A native of Arkansas, James Lee Witt served as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1993 until 2001, and he transformed FEMA into a customer-focused model for crisis management. An international consultant and motivational speaker, he lives in Washington, D.C. James Morgan is the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Distance to the Moon and co-author of Leading with My Heart, Virginia Kelley's bestselling memoir of raising Bill Clinton. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Reviews

Witt's first book, co-written with author Morgan (The Distance to the Moon), addresses business leaders struggling with the ever-present possibility of disaster. Witt, who served as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1993 until 2001, here shares dozens of anecdotes about crisis management. The examples are not all business-related (e.g., one details the burning of a California family's home), but all are designed to teach leaders how to respond to emergencies. Witt divides the book into four sections: crisis preparation, prevention, response and recovery. Each section includes real-life events, such as the Oklahoma City bombing and a Missouri flood, and concludes with some important points for leaders ("measure the gap and make the leap," "map out the ripple effects" and "aim high-but never take your eye off your foundation"). The book has a storytelling feel to it-Witt frequently speaks in the first person-which should appeal to patient managers who want plenty of yarns with their business advice.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Witt served as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 1993 to 2001. Originally formed to manage nuclear disaster, FEMA was expanded to bring aid to all types of disaster victims, but by the time Witt joined the agency it was so awash in red tape that FEMA itself was in crisis. Under his leadership, the agency streamlined its procedures to give disaster victims the aid they need quickly and efficiently. This book is filled with the stories of real disasters, from Hurricane Andrew in Florida to tornadoes, floods, and forest fires, to the Oklahoma City bombing. Witt describes the heroism and the tenacity of Americans to survive the worst and recover against the greatest odds. He emphasizes prevention, as crises often occur simply through poor planning and inaction. FEMA was so unpopular in 1992 that it was nearly voted out of existence by Congress; today, because of Witt's "uncommon common sense" (Bill Clinton), it may be the most popular agency in the federal government. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Times Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805070001
• ISBN 13: 9780805070002
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256