From product defects to environmental disasters—almost every day a new corporate crisis hits the headlines. In the majority of cases the results are disastrous: costly and time-consuming efforts to establish a positive public image can be wiped out in seconds. The inadequate, and often damaging, response of American business to such adversity proves that we don’t need better crisis management—we need crisis leadership. Ian Mitroff offers a new proactive approach that focuses on doing everything humanly possible to prevent crisis before they happen, rather than merely putting the best possible spin on the aftermath. In easy-to-read, accessible language, Mitroff presents the critical, key lessons that will help managers lead the organization through a major crisis.

Managing the Unexpected: Assuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity by Weick Karl
Crisis Management: Mastering the Skills to Prevent Disasters (Harvard Business Essentials) by Authors, Various
The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series) by Sample, Steven B.

Crisis Leadership - Long overdue
Mitroff's short, well-documented text is a "must read" for operational and strategic level leaders. Mitroff vividly defines the difference between crisis management and crisis leadership through real-life examples that no leader would like to see repeated in her own organization; however, the likelihood of such an occurrence is high since most organizations plan for the thinkable rather than the unthinkable. Mitroff's seven crisis types, analysis of normal versus abnormal accidents, discussion of the different languages used by managers and executives, and treatment of the personalities of organizations vs. the personalities of individuals are topics worthy of deep reflection and study. However, Mitroff's succinct presentation provides sufficient background that makes each topic easy to understand without laborious detail. Although the content is excellent, the author only provides the motivation for doing more detailed crisis planning. This text should be used in conjunction with Weick and Sutcliffe's "Managing the Unexpected" (Jossey-Bass) in order to re-orient corporate leader perspectives on crisis leadership and organizational survival. Knowledgeable leaders are well advised to add this text to their company's leadership library.