Disasters provide a distinctive context in which to study the robustness and resilience of response systems. Therefore, in the aftermath of a large-scale crisis, every effort should be invested in forming a coalition and collecting critical lessons so they can be shared and incorporated into best practices and preparations. Novel communication strategies, flexible leadership structures, and improved information systems will be necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality during future events.

Recent advances in neuroscience and psychology research (“brain science”) provide a fruitful avenue for developing approaches to leadership development. Literature on the application of these advances to crisis leadership is sparse, despite significant neurological and psychological dimensions of crisis response scenarios. The current study analyzed the nature of perceived impact of leader behavior on outcomes in crisis management systems such as the Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS), and explored the extent to which brain science principles are integrated into ICS/NIMS training. Analysis of survey data from a sample of 198 crisis leaders revealed that observed leader behaviors was related to ICS/NIMS performance and that typical ICS/NIMS training fails to address the behavioral aspects of crisis leadership. To address the identified deficiency, a training model incorporating brain science into crisis leadership training systems is suggested. Further research is recommended to better determine the impact of incorporating neuroscience and psychology research into formal crisis leadership training and to further evaluate effective measurement and teaching tools.

No abstract

This article reports on the design, evaluation framework, and results from the Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness was a 5-year initiative based on the premise that national preparedness and emergency response is not solely the responsibility of government. From 2006 to 2011, 36 Meta-Leadership Summits were delivered in communities across the country. Summits were customized, 10-hour leadership development, networking, and community action planning events. They included participation from targeted federal, state, local, nonprofit/philanthropic, and private sector leaders who are directly involved in decision making during a major community or state-wide emergency. A total of 4,971 government, nonprofit, and business leaders attended Meta-Leadership Summits; distribution of attendees by sector was balanced. Ninety-three percent of respondents reported the summit was a valuable use of time, 91% reported the overall quality as “good” or “outstanding,” and 91% would recommend the summit to their colleagues. In addition, approximately 6 months after attending a summit, 80% of respondents reported that they had used meta-leadership concepts or principles. Of these, 93% reported that using meta-leadership concepts or principles had made a positive difference for them and their organizations. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative was a value-added opportunity for communities, providing the venue for learning the concepts and practice of meta-leadership, multisector collaboration, and resource sharing with the intent of substantively improving preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

In this article, we describe a method we have used successfully in both academic and professional settings to rapidly introduce novice negotiators to the principles and practice of interest‐based negotiation: “the walk in the woods.” The walk incorporates much of the principles of interest‐based negotiation: fostering self‐awareness, cultivating curiosity, and understanding the importance of world view. The walk's effectiveness is illustrated in this article using the case of the merger of two large, complex health‐care organizations.

Introduction:In April 2009, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) learned that a novel and seemingly lethal strain of H1N1 was present in Mexico and was spreading into US border states. The majority of senior CDC leaders were trained in meta-leadership, a strategy for emergency preparedness and response developed at the Harvard University National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. This study reports on an analysis of senior leaders involved in that response. Methods: Senior CDC leaders involved in the H1N1 response between 22 April and 22 May 2009 were interviewed using a structured interview tool and a qualitative analysis of their responses. Results: Given the short time since the onset of the event, research still is in progress. However, preliminary interviews confirm that senior CDC leaders, including Acting Director, Dr. Rich Besser, were knowledgeable in the five dimensions of meta-leadership and were intentionally practicing and applying the strategy. A public opinion survey indicated an 83% approval rating for public health leaders managing the event. Conclusions:The five dimensions of meta-leadership are: (1) the leader; (2) situational awareness; (3) leading one's silo of responsibility; (4) leading up to one's boss; and (5) leading intra-agency and cross-agency connectivity. When adopted across the government and out to the private sector, metaleadership provides three important advantages: (1) a strategy of action designed to advance coordinated planning and response to major emergencies; (2) a conceptual framework and vocabulary that encourages intentional networking and cohesion to connect the purposes and work of different public and private stakeholders; and (3) a practice method that both instructs and guides multi-dimensional problemsolving. By deploying the skills and abilities of meta-leadership, positive outcomes were achieved during the early phase of the H1N1 outbreak in the US.

Besides vaccine certificates, research suggests leaders also need to trigger society’s intrinsic motivation to help in order to achieve lasting and equitable solutions.

In routine emergencies, official emergency organizations bear the responsibility to manage the event and treat the wounded. The principal role for bystanders is to alert the appropriate emergency organizations. In mass casualty events (MCE), bystanders are the first responders. Research conducted among rescues in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake indicates that bystanders can be an effective complement to professional rescue forces and a necessary substitute when professionals lack sufficient surge capacity. Policy makers and planners may be able to save lives and elevate resilience by sharing emergency preparedness responsibility with the general public.