Leadership in Crisis: Learning from Real-World Historical Situations

2 credits · Graduate

This seminar examines how leaders make consequential decisions when information is incomplete, time is short, institutions are strained, and the stakes are high. Through real-world historical situations, students will analyze leadership across government, civil society, business, exploration, war, and disaster response. The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster serves as a foundation for studying field judgment, command under uncertainty, and collaboration among public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporations. Additional cases include Shackleton's Endurance expedition, the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb, and Suntory's acquisition and integration of Beam Inc. Films, case discussions, guest lectures and the instructor's own experiences will illuminate tensions between central authority and local initiative, strategy and improvisation, ethics and necessity, and mission and survival. Throughout the seminar, students will have the opportunity to learn directly from the real-world experience of a leader who has spent nearly 30 years as a CEO. Two sessions will also be led by a guest lecturer with extensive experience leading a global nonprofit organization. The course concludes by drawing on Joseph Campbell's work on myth to explore the inner journey of leadership. Students will develop practical frameworks for preparing for crises, evaluating options, sustaining teams, and acting responsibly under extraordinary pressure.