Stronger in the Broken Places; Nine Lessons for Turning Crisis Into Triumph

[12], 241, [1] pages Index. Signed by author. Inscription signed by Witt. DJ has slight wear, soiling and edgewear. James Lee Witt (born January 6, 1944) is a former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), during the tenure of U.S. President Bill Clinton and is often credited with raising the agency's level of professionalism and ability to respond to disasters. In 1988, shortly after being reelected county Judge, an administrative position he had held for ten years, Witt was appointed by then-Governor Bill Clinton to be the head of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services. There he reorganized the state's emergency management process. Clinton subsequently moved the new Fire Protection Services Program to OES, including the board and the grant program, which was administered in conjunction with the state Insurance Department." When Clinton was elected President, he appointed Witt to head FEMA, for which Witt was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1993. In 1996, FEMA was given cabinet rank. During his tenure Witt was able to overcome FEMA's previously poor reputation. Witt's eight-year term in office saw approximately 348 Presidentially declared disaster areas in more than 6,500 counties and in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Witt supervised the response to the 1997 Red River Flood— a devastating flood in the Dakotas—the most costly earthquake, and a dozen serious hurricanes. For Witt, the man who rebuilt America's emergency response system, the most effective lessons have guided real-life heroes through extraordinary situations. To bring home the ten lessons in this useful book, Witt shares examples and strategies from corporations who have overcome crisis by applying the same principles to their business, every day. For James Lee Witt, the man who rebuilt America's emergency response system, the most inspiring and effective lessons-about personal responsibility, team building, planning, and taking action-have guided real-life heroes through extraordinary situations and can pull you and your business through the pressures you face each week or once in a career. Drawing on his experiences handling disasters such as the Mississippi River floods and the Oklahoma City bombing, Witt identifies the tools leaders need to motivate others and triumph over adversity: - prepare with triage plans and early warning systems - prevent recurring and avoidable crises - respond with teamwork, confidence, and customization - recover by delegating leadership and mining successes and failures To bring the lessons home, he 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 businesses, every day. First edition. Stated. First printing [stated].…