Readings That Will Enhance Your Leadership and Emergency Management skills

Year 2022

These are the books we will review each month, a selection of readings that will enhance your Leadership and Emergency Management skills. I hope you will join me on this literature journey to professional enlightenment.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Leadership is a Relationship (Jan)

By Michael S. Erwin | Willys Devoll

Leadership like any other relationship requires effort. As leaders, we must lead with compassion and be willing to be vulnerable and forgiving just as parents with their children. As my first leader told me “Lead you Soldiers how your mom would want you to be lead”

Angry Weather (Feb)

By Friederike Otto

Is it a coincidence that severe weather events are getting more intense and happening more frequently as the earth is getting hotter? This forensic, scientific look into this subject will help us get closer to answering this question. We can no longer pretend the “grey rhino” does not exist.

Think Again (Mar)

By Adam Grant

As the world changes, we too must change with it. We should strive to break the rigidity for our minds and seek mental agility, to remain relevant and become better practitioners, leaders, and humans.

One Second After (Apr)

By William R. Forstchen

 In exercise development, we are only limited by our imagination. An exciting “what if” scenario exploring the possibility of an Electromagnetic Pulse weapon terrorist attack that hurls us back into the dark ages will surely get out creative juices flowing as exercise practitioners.

The Servant Leaders Manifesto (May)

By Omar L. Harris

Servant leadership is a trendy title, which has turned the concept of leadership upside down. The old way of dictator-style leadership does not work anymore (if it ever really did). Today our jobs as leaders are not only to steer the ship but to also get out hands dirty and support our employee’s efforts in rowing.

Disaster by Choice (Jun)

By Ilan Kelman

The dream house on a coastal cliff line overlooking the ocean is really a disaster in waiting. Even in the face of eroding landscape, increasing natural disaster frequency and intensity humans still chose to build in high-risk areas choosing serenity over safety. Sometimes the biggest risk to humanity and human decisions.

Getting to Yes (Jul)

By Roger Fisher | William Ury

The art of negotiation without giving in is a skill that all Emergency Managers should work to develop. In this field, we are in a constant state of negotiation with community members, stakeholders, elected and appointed officials. It is up to us to pave the way to Yes, and these skills can help.

Risk (Aug)

By Gen. Stanley McChrystal

Another selection by this great military leader discusses risk, the fundamental reason for the Emergency Management profession. This book explores risk mitigation as ten dimensions of control and how to maintain a healthy risk immune system.

Mindfulness for Warriors (Sep)

By Kim Colegrove

With today’s social climate and everything first responders are exposed to it is more than ever that our heroes have a good self-care plan. Mindfulness is an important tool in a self-care plan that the responder must develop and regularly practice until it becomes as natural as breathing. This practical approach to mindfulness will help bring serenity to first responders.

Playing Politics with Natural Disaster (Oct)

By Timothy W. Kneeland

Politics, every Emergency Managers’ favorite topic (not). A look at past natural disasters and the role politics played. We will explore how political decisions affect policy and influence the field still today.

Start with Why (Nov)

By Simon Sinek

People will not invest (time, money, attention) in your idea without knowing why. In Emergency Management we constantly ask people to invest in our Emergency Management efforts, and we must be good salespeople to be effective. Since no one will invest without knowing why, why not start there?

The Gray Rhino (Dec)

By Michele Wucker

We commonly have a hard time recognizing the obvious dangers right in front of us, why is that? We will look at the highly probable, high-impact, yet neglected threat that is the grey rhino and investigate why leaders fail to address them.