Besser continued: “Our mission at the foundation is help create a society in which all people have a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. To be successful, we can’t command and control. For me, a big part of being successful is practicing good followership. Part of being a good leader is seeing others moving in the direction you want and helping them in what they are trying to accomplish: what can we do to help make them a success? We don’t own all the best ideas, though when we see good value, we want to help.”
Through your meta-leadership, you are seeking a wider perception and a deeper understanding of people, their experiences, and what affects them. That understanding—through connectivity—allows you to find patterns of behavior, reaction, and response. The intersection between what occurs in your surroundings and its impact on people becomes clearer. You take and guide actions in this broad human panorama.
Commit yourself to lifelong leadership learning. Foster your passion and wonder. Learn from mistakes. Equip yourself with the knowledge to find and achieve your full potential. Make it a sustainable ingredient of your own development and the culture of your organizations. Your meta-leadership street credibility is built on what you accomplish. Aspire to your bigger vision.
We began with the game of tag. Let’s turn the game around. Now that you’re “it,” it’s your turn to tag and influence as many people as widely as you can. Be a force multiplier. Spark your curiosity and that of others. Be a thoughtful teacher and perpetual student. This is the vitality of your meta-leadership.
Find other “its” who share your passion and drive. Join them. Tag them and be tagged by them. Seek and integrate different perspectives. Forge unity of effort. Create a fresh balance of people and priorities. Marshal the power of networks to extend your meta-leadership scope and influence. Reach far.
Imagine the world, the community, and the organization you want to live and work in. Know what you hope to achieve. Across your Arc of Time, live in the short term and reach for the long term. With others, perceive, orient, predict, swarm, and act to devise resilient futures. Meta-leadership illuminates your mission and sense of purpose. Find it and thrive within and beyond it.
Understand and shape yourself and the society you inhabit. Challenge yourself and those about you. Journal your progress and obstacles. Chronicle your achievements. Devote yourself to the people who follow you and the people you follow. Arouse your senses to notice more and to understand deeply. Connect. Make things happen.
You’re it!
Questions for Journaling
This is a reading exercise, not a writing exercise. Go back and read your journal entries and reflect on what you have learned through this process of reflection. This is your meta-leadership story. Contemplate it and celebrate what you have accomplished and what you strive to accomplish. Anticipate your ongoing meta-leadership story and its many yet-to-be-written chapters.
To find updates from your authors and to become part of the “you’re it” community, go to www.youreitbook.com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Lenny Marcus: My appreciation to Jeremy Marcus, Una Lee, Kayla Marcus, and Eli Marcus for their loving inspiration, support, and encouragement. My thanks to Wendy Caplan for her help, perspective, and assistance on the long road to publication. And to our team here at the NPLI, who every day demonstrate what people can do when they truly work together.
Eric McNulty: Many thanks to my wife, Anne, for her patience and support throughout this process, as well as Cooper, my loyal Cockapoo, who sat attentively through many sessions of writing and editing and Bailey, my keyboard-loving cat.
Joe Henderson: I would like to thank my wife, Deb; my children, Christina, Nicholas, and Stephanie; and my grandson Jaxson, who will someday be “it”! I also thank the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where I was allowed to put our meta-leadership model to the test.
Barry Dorn: I would like to thank my wife, Jan, and all of the first responders and other professionals from whom I have learned so much.
Although we four have written this book, we are part of an exceptional team at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. In particular, Peter Neffenger and Richard Serino, whom you met several times in the book, were generous with their time when they were leaders in the field. More recently, both have joined us on the faculty and continue to contribute their thinking and content development to our work. Together, we have written multiple teaching cases based on their experiences. Our work has also benefited from the talents and leadership of Dr. Gregory Ciottone and Dr. Suzet McKinney. We are supported by the indefatigable Regina Jungbluth and Andrew Schwartz, who have ably managed our complex and busy writing, travel, teaching, and training schedules. Our able research assistants, including Lisa Flynn and Jennifer Grimes, have been invaluable in helping us distill observations and data into useful cases rooted in scholarship.
Our work would not be possible without the support of our academic colleagues. At the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, they include Dean Michelle Williams, Dr. Robert Blendon, Nancy Kane, Nancy Turnbull, and Dr. Arnold Epstein. At the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, we are honored to work alongside NPLI founding codirector David Gergen, General (ret.) Dana Born, Dr. Ron Heifetz, Dr. Arnold Howitt, Juliette Kayyem, Dr. Barbara Kellerman, Dr. Herman “Dutch” Leonard, Dr. Christopher Robichaud, and Laura Winig, among others. Dr. Max Bazerman is a valued contributor and friend from the Harvard Business School. Our understanding of neuroscience has been greatly aided by Dr. Srini Pillay of Harvard Medical School and Dr. Donna Volpitta. Andrew Heyward and his colleagues at the MIT Media Lab have enriched our appreciation of the evolving media.
In these pages, you met some of the generous people who have allowed us to interview and, in some cases, shadow them during high-stress, high-stakes situations. Our field insights would not be possible without them. In addition to those already mentioned, they include: Jerry Agnew, Admiral (ret.) Thad Allen, Muriel Barnier, Kellie Bentz, Dr. Richard Besser, Willow Brugh, Dr. Nicole Cook, John Crowley, Dr. Suraya Dali, James “Jimmy” Dunne, Harriet Green, Eden Hebron, Jim Hooley, Brad Kieserman, Muhtar Kent, Jirayut New Latthivongskorn, Ilana Lerman, Desi Matel-Anderson, Marc Mathieu, Professor Kobi Peleg, Galit Sorokin, Budge Upton, and Ethan Zohn.
There are many other people from whom we have learned much about what it means to lead. They include: Jane Cage, Darrell Darnell, Dr. Julie Gerberding, Alice Hill, William “Billy” Evans, General Steven Kwast, Matt Olson, Governor Deval Patrick, Julie Pierson, General Scott Rice, and Mark Sullivan, as well as the many participants in our NPLI executive crisis leadership programs and symposia.
Meta-leadership would have remained an abstract concept had organizations not allowed us inside to observe their leaders and test our ideas, and some have supported our research financially. They include: American Airlines, American Red Cross, Boston Athletic Association, Boston Emergency Medical Services, Boston Police Department, the CDC, CDC Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Edelman, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Massachusetts State Police, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, National Counter-Terrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Schlumberger, Transportation Security Administration, US Air Force, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Coast Guard, US Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, US Department of Homeland Security, US Office of Personnel Management, US Secret Service, White House National Security Council, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
No book comes into being through the efforts of the authors alone. Our devoted agent, Esmond Harmsworth of the Aevitas Creative Management Agency, shepherded us through this process with grace, humor, and boundless patience and perseverance. Carolyn Monaco of Monaco Associates thoughtfully educated and guided us through the many steps necessary to find an audience. This is a far better bo
ok thanks to the deft editorial insight of Colleen Lawrie of PublicAffairs and the sharp copyediting of Cynthia Buck. We are grateful to Josie Urwin and Miguel Cervantes of PublicAffairs for their tireless help with publicity and marketing. We also thank the team at Fortier Public Relations for their insights and assistance.
Finally, we thank you for reading this book and, more important, putting its concepts and tools to work. Our research, teaching, and writing are directed at better equipping those who lead as they face increasingly turbulent and complex times. You have an enormous responsibility. The world needs you now. You’re it!
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Leonard J. Marcus, PhD, is founding codirector of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, a joint program of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Center for Public Leadership. He is also founding director of the Harvard T. H. Chan Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. He received his PhD from Brandeis University in 1983. He was a fellow with the Kellogg National Leadership Program from 1986 to 1989. He joined the faculty of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in 1995. He coauthored Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving Conflict to Build Collaboration, winner of the 1995 CPR Annual Book Prize Award for Dispute Resolution. A second edition was published in 2011.
Eric J. McNulty, MA, serves as associate director for the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and the Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, both at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. He is also an instructor at the Harvard T. H. Chan School. McNulty is a contributing editor at Strategy+Business magazine and has written for Harvard Business Review and many other leading publications and websites. He has served as editor at large and director of conferences for Harvard Business Publishing. He is the coauthor of the second edition of Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving Conflict to Build Collaboration. Eric holds a master’s degree in leadership in the context of large-scale challenges, such as climate change and urbanization, from Lesley University.
Joseph M. Henderson, MPA, is a distinguished senior fellow at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and is on the faculty of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. He retired from the US government in 2018 as a member of the senior executive service. He served for twenty-five years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shortly after 9/11, he was the first director of the CDC Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response. In his last executive position at the CDC, he was director of the Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management. Henderson also served in the US Air Force.
Barry Dorn, MD, MHCM, is senior advisor of the Program for Health Care Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and a faculty member with the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. He was on the faculty of health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and a clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at the Tufts University School of Medicine; he also held the position of interim president and CEO of Winchester Hospital. Dr. Dorn is among the leaders in the development of the negotiation and conflict resolution field. He is a coauthor of Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving Conflict to Build Collaboration. He has an honorable discharge from the US Army.
THE META-LEADER’S BOOKSHELF
We have referenced the work of many people throughout this book. We keep a regularly updated list of books, videos, and other resources we find relevant, useful, and interesting at www.youreitbook.com.
PRAISE FOR YOU’RE IT
“Whether the situation you’re facing is ordinary or extraordinary, You’re It can equip you with the tools to lead people effectively through times of change and turmoil.”
—Doug Conant, founder and CEO, ConantLeadership, and former CEO of Campbell Soup Company
“A practical how-to manual for those who must exercise leadership in crisis situations. You’re It is a highly readable, essential primer for anyone who is called to lead when people need it most.”
—Janet Napolitano, former Department of Homeland Security secretary, president of the University of California, and author of How Safe Are We?: Homeland Security Since 9/11
“Every leader dreams (and agonizes) about his or her ‘leadership moment’—that singular crisis or challenge that will test our character and define our legacy. You’re It shows what it takes to prepare for that moment. Its insights, frameworks, and genuinely riveting stories will prepare leaders in any field to seize an opportunity or avoid disaster. Read this book, take its lessons to heart, and get ready to lead.”
—William C. Taylor, cofounder of Fast Company and author of Simply Brilliant
“The real beauty of this highly readable book is that today, we all find ourselves leading through crises at work, in our families, and in our communities. And it is packed with fresh, new ideas about leadership that are brilliant, practical, and relevant. The authors’ model for how to think, what to do, and how to unite people when extreme crisis hits works, and they’ve got excellent research and fascinating stories from real life to prove it.”
—Annie McKee, bestselling author and senior fellow, University of Pennsylvania
“Combining meticulously engaging theory with heart-stopping anecdotes from the top crisis leaders of our times, You’re It provides all of us with what to do, and what not to do, when it matters the most. This is a book that takes us beyond the clichés of leadership literature, and provides tools that will make us smarter, more self-aware, and better prepared when we are tested.”
—Juliette Kayyem, former assistant secretary, Department of Homeland Security, and faculty chair, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Homeland Security Program
“You’re It is a comprehensive resource for individual and organizational preparedness leadership. As a governor, I faced several disasters, natural and man-made, and came to realize that being prepared is not just having plans and designated resources, but it is building trust and working together for an organic, agile, and effective response. This work shows us that pathway, meta-leadership, arming future generations with the tools, knowledge, and the ability to reach beyond themselves when destiny says, ‘You’re it.’”
—Ernest “Ernie” Fletcher, former member, US House of Representatives, and former governor, Kentucky
“In a world where both challenges and opportunities are increasingly complex and simultaneously nuanced, leaders navigate ambiguity at every turn. In You’re It, readers will find practical insights and illuminating stories about what it takes to make hard choices when the future seems more chaotic than clear. Readers will also find inspiration and understanding of what it takes to succeed in a crisis whether it is local or international. You’re It is the crisis playbook for the twenty-first century.”
—Farah Pandith, author of How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat
“Drawing on the experience of dozens of leaders during times of crisis, You’re It breaks new ground in our understanding of leadership performance when disaster strikes. Its compelling narrative identifies practical ways leaders can prepare in advance of calamity. This book is a must read for those who want to understand how improving leadership skills can drive better outcomes.”
—Alice Hill, former special assistant to President Obama, senior director for Resilience on the National Security Council, and author of Building a Resilient Tomorrow: Preparing for the Coming Climate Disruption
“You’re It is an essential prep course for leaders and leaders-in-the-making who are at risk for ending up on the frontlines of a crisis. Whether used as an individual guide to personal and professional development or a comprehensive curriculum for risk management team planning, You’re It fits the bill.”
—Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, executive vice president and chief patient officer, Strategic Communications, Global Public Policy, and Population Health, and former director, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
INDEX
accomplishment, 175–176, 176 (fig.)
accountability, 174
activity, 175–176
adaptive capacity, 38–39. See also complex, adaptive systems
Adidas, 152
Aeron chair, 40
affinity groups, 62
Agnew, Jerry, 232
AIDS/HIV prevention. See HIV/AIDS prevention
Airbnb, 196–198
algorithms, 127, 128–129
aligned interests, 203, 204, 211–212, 215, 216
All Hands and Hearts, 198
Allen, Thad, 26, 253
Deepwater Horizon oil spill and, 1, 2, 17, 23–25, 32–33, 146–149, 240–241
Hurricane Katrina and, 23, 24
meta-leadership, 24
Amazon, 128
American Red Cross, 194, 237, 238
amygdala hijack, 95–98, 222
anchoring heuristic, 104
Apple, 121
Arc of Time, 235–251, 255
balancing across, 245–250
expectations and, 244–245
facets of, 236–237
relative activity measured by, 239
working with, 239–243
Arizona State University, 75
arm-wrestling exercise, 80–82, 83, 212
Ashkenazi, Isaac, 96
authenticity, 75, 84, 183
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