Leadership in Times of Crisis: Case Studies and Best Practices

Crisis tests leadership in ways that routine administration never does. When information is incomplete, stakes are high, and time is short, the quality of decision-making at the top determines whether an organisation or indeed a nation emerges intact or unravels. The Johnson & Johnson Tylenol poisonings in 1982, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel staff's reaction to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Boeing's poor leadership during the 737 MAX issue. It situates these episodes within the academic literature on crisis management, particularly the influential five-stage competency model developed by Wooten and James, before distilling best practices of contemporary relevance to organisations, public institutions, and individual leaders alike.