High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis from Coursera

This course has been designed to help leaders, like you, learn how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions. As a participant in this course, you’ll discover why an understanding of various stakeholder perspectives can inform and dramatically improve a leader’s response to events that threaten an organization’s very survival. This course is also about understanding and developing individual and organizational resilience—the ability to anticipate potential threats; to cope effectively with adverse events when they occur; and to adapt to changing conditions, ensuring a viable path forward for yourself, your team, and your organization. These topics are particularly relevant in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many course examples will reference lessons leaders around the world have learned during this far-reaching healthcare crisis.

During the eight course modules, which are distributed over four weeks, participants will explore topics such as: Why the VUCA world is making crises more common; Characteristics of resilient organizations and ways to increase resilience; Stakeholder value propositions and how these are threatened during a crisis; Organizing frameworks for estimating the types of crises an organization might encounter; the Unique and challenging nature of the crisis environment; the Fundamentals of crisis leadership; and Building a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis—which, in today’s world, is not so much an “if”, as a “when”.

Professor Mike Barger, your faculty member for this course, has served as a TOPGUN instructor in the United States Navy and as a founder and executive at JetBlue Airways. His professional experience has helped him learn a great deal about crisis leadership and to gain a true sense of what it means to be resilient. Throughout the course, Professor Barger will draw upon many practical examples that will make the content of this course easy to appreciate, understand, and translate into practical lessons that you will be able to apply immediately at your organization.

Crisis leadership is a topic that’s exciting, daunting, and almost impossible to master. With some time and effort over the four weeks of the course, however, you can develop an exceptional set of crisis-leadership tools that will serve you well throughout your professional career.

What's inside

Syllabus

Modules 1 & 2: Course Introduction and Our VUCA Environment Demands a Focus on Stakeholders

During the first course week, participants will gain an appreciation for the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment in which their businesses must operate and how these conditions have dramatically increased the likelihood of an organizational crisis. Participants will also gain a deep understanding of organizational stakeholders and how the perspectives of these stakeholders become vitally important frames of reference for leaders during a crisis.

Modules 3 & 4: Developing Resilience and Understanding Stakeholder Reactions to Crises

During the second week of the course, participants will learn how to increase their organization’s capacity for resilience, defined as the ability to anticipate potential threats; to cope effectively with adverse events when they occur; and to adapt to changing conditions, ensuring a viable path forward for everyone involved. Participants will also explore this week a model for understanding and predicting how stakeholders will respond to crises that threaten their value proposition with an enterprise.

Modules 5 & 6: Crisis Varieties, Responses, and the Unique Nature of the Crisis Environment

During the third course week, participants will examine a collection of different crisis types and how each type requires a unique response from crisis leaders. This week will also present a detailed look at the nature of the crisis environment, which will explain why crisis leadership is one of the most challenging aspects of any leader’s set of responsibilities.

Modules 7 & 8: Crisis Leadership and Preparing for Future Crises

During the fourth and final week of the course, participants will explore the key characteristics of effective crisis leaders and how to effectively demonstrate leadership before, during, and after a crisis. Then, to bring the course to a close, participants will work through a collection of steps that will help them effectively prepare for their next inevitable crisis.

Good to know

Know what's good

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Explores how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions

Covers why an understanding of various stakeholder perspectives can dramatically improve a leader’s response to an organizational crisis

Teaches how to increase individual and organizational resilience

Examines various types of crises and how each type requires a unique response

Taught by Professor Mike Barger, a former TOPGUN instructor and founder of JetBlue Airways

Reviews summary

Well-regarded crisis leadership course

Learners largely agree that this course on high stakes leadership is well received, awarding it high ratings overall. Students say the course offers engaging assignments, clear instruction, and practical advice that is relevant to crisis management in real-world organizations.

Students find the course well organized and easy to follow

"The course includes practical advice that we can take back to our organizations right away."

"This course is really well presented and provides a solid foundation and understanding of crisis management."

"The course was reasonably interesting, albeit a bit repetitive."

"Great instructor and course materials"

Learners highly value the course instructor

"Mr. Mike Barger made sure the course went well and not be boring for the learners."

"Excellent videos, Informative readings, Great quizzes."

"Prof Mike Barger explains each concept so well."

"Brilliant teaching, excellent examples, wonderful practical training!"

The course's content is seen as pertinent

"Relevant to all organizations in a world growing in complexity."

"Even as a person who's managed hundreds of crises, this course further expanded my skills."

"This course exceeded all of my expectations and was extremely valuable."

"The videos you presented were super professional and i've learned more than just of what you said and taught us but also how you communicated and talked with us fellow students."

Students remark on the course's practical value.

"I've learned many lessons that have helped me gain a better understanding of the crisis perspective."

"This course gave me the opportunity to learn from the experiences of people around the globe."

"Increased confidence through reflecting on my many crisis leadership experiences."

"This course has a great list of theoretical models that can be applied easily in real life."

Some students note the repetitive nature of the presentations

"Too many academic theories"

"It was not challenging especially if you have some experience of crisis leadership."

"The lecturer was Ok but I felt that the instructional design could have been improved."

"The video often repeats the reading portion."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis with these activities:

Review key concepts of organizational behavior and leadership

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Review key concepts of organizational behavior and leadership to strengthen your understanding of organizational dynamics and leadership practices.

Browse courses on Organizational Behavior

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Reread course materials from previous courses on organizational behavior and leadership.
Summarize key theories and models.
Complete practice problems or case studies.

Watch TED Talks on crisis leadership

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Expose yourself to diverse perspectives and insights on crisis leadership by watching TED Talks delivered by experts in the field.

Browse courses on Crisis Leadership

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Search for TED Talks on crisis leadership.
Watch and take notes on 2-3 TED Talks.
Summarize the key takeaways from each talk.

Read 'Leading Change' by John Kotter

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Gain insights into the process of leading change effectively, which is crucial for navigating organizational disruptions.

View HBR's 10 Must Reads for Executive Teams on Amazon

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Four other activities

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Develop a Crisis Communication Plan

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Create a comprehensive crisis communication plan that outlines strategies for communicating effectively during organizational crises.

Browse courses on Crisis Communication

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Research best practices for crisis communication.
Identify key stakeholders and their communication needs.
Develop clear and concise messages for different crisis scenarios.
Establish communication channels and protocols.
Review and update your plan regularly.

Attend a Crisis Management Workshop

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Gain practical knowledge and skills in crisis management through hands-on exercises and interactive discussions led by industry experts.

Browse courses on Crisis Management

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Research and identify relevant crisis management workshops.
Register and attend the workshop.
Actively participate in discussions and exercises.
Network with other professionals in the field.

Participate in a Crisis Leadership Simulation

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Engage in a simulated crisis situation with peers to practice applying crisis leadership principles in a realistic environment.

Browse courses on Crisis Leadership

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Prepare for the simulation by reviewing course materials and relevant case studies.
Participate actively in the simulation, taking on a leadership role.
Analyze the outcomes of the simulation and identify areas for improvement.
Reflect on your own performance and seek feedback from peers.
Document your learnings and apply them to your crisis leadership toolkit.

Implement a Crisis Simulation Exercise

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Plan and execute a crisis simulation exercise to test the effectiveness of your organization's crisis response plan and identify areas for improvement.

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Define the scope and objectives of the exercise.
Create a realistic crisis scenario.
Recruit participants and assign roles.
Conduct the simulation and monitor the participants' responses.
Evaluate the results and make recommendations for improvement.

Career center

Learners who complete High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Crisis Manager

A Crisis Manager is responsible for developing and implementing crisis management plans, leading crisis response teams, and communicating with stakeholders during a crisis. This course could help you build a foundation for success in this role by teaching you about the characteristics of resilient organizations, stakeholder value propositions, and the unique and challenging nature of the crisis environment.

See salaries and explore the career path for Crisis Manager

Emergency Manager

Emergency Managers are responsible for planning and coordinating emergency response efforts for organizations and communities. They develop emergency plans, train staff, and coordinate with other agencies to ensure a coordinated response to emergencies. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Emergency Manager

Business Continuity Planner

A Business Continuity Planner designs plans to help organizations and companies prepare for and respond effectively to disruptive events and crises. Such events can range from natural disasters to cyberattacks to workplace accidents. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, build a crisis response plan, and understand and develop individual and organizational resilience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Continuity Planner

Security Consultant

Security Consultants are responsible for providing security advice and services to organizations. They conduct risk assessments, develop security plans, and train employees on security procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Consultant

Risk Manager

Risk Managers are responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to organizations. They develop risk management plans, conduct risk assessments, and train employees on risk management procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Physical Security Manager

Physical Security Managers are responsible for developing and implementing security measures to protect buildings and other physical assets from theft, vandalism, and other threats. They also conduct risk assessments, investigate security incidents, and train employees on security procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Physical Security Manager

Security Analyst

Security Analysts are responsible for monitoring computer systems and networks for security threats. They investigate security incidents, develop security plans, and train employees on security procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Analyst

IT Security Manager

IT Security Managers are responsible for developing and implementing security measures to protect computer systems and networks from cyberattacks. They also conduct risk assessments, investigate security incidents, and train employees on security procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Security Manager

Homeland Security Manager

Homeland Security Managers are responsible for developing and implementing security plans to protect organizations and communities from terrorism and other threats. They also coordinate with law enforcement and other agencies to ensure a coordinated response to emergencies. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Homeland Security Manager

Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists are responsible for identifying and evaluating workplace hazards and developing and implementing programs to protect workers from injury and illness. They also conduct risk assessments, investigate accidents, and train employees on safety procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

Safety Engineer

Safety Engineers are responsible for designing and implementing safety measures to protect workers and the public from hazards. They conduct risk assessments, investigate accidents, and develop safety plans. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Safety Engineer

Environmental Health and Safety Manager

Environmental Health and Safety Managers are responsible for developing and implementing programs to protect employees and the environment from workplace hazards. They also conduct risk assessments, investigate accidents, and train employees on safety procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Health and Safety Manager

Fire Safety Inspector

Fire Safety Inspectors are responsible for inspecting buildings and other structures to ensure compliance with fire codes and regulations. They also investigate fires and provide recommendations for fire prevention. This course may be useful in teaching you about the unique and challenging nature of the crisis environment and how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Fire Safety Inspector

Health and Safety Manager

Health and Safety Managers are responsible for developing and implementing programs to protect employees from workplace hazards. They also conduct risk assessments, investigate accidents, and train employees on safety procedures. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health and Safety Manager

Law Enforcement Officer

Law Enforcement Officers are responsible for enforcing the law and protecting the public. They respond to calls for service, investigate crimes, and make arrests. This course may be useful in teaching you how to effectively navigate the challenges of significant organizational disruptions, understand and develop individual and organizational resilience, and build a plan to prepare yourself, your team, and your organization for your next major crisis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Law Enforcement Officer