You're It

Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most

By: Leonard J. Marcus, Eric J. McNulty, Joseph M. Henderson, Barry C. Dorn, David Gergen - introduction

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Become a better crisis leader while equipping yourself with the tools for every day transformative leadership

Managing crisis well is at the very heart of good leadership. Here, the team from the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University draws on a deep well of research as well as their experience working with leaders to respond to crisis events of all kinds, from terrorist attacks to the COVID-19 pandemic, to more everyday crises like a product recall or media controversy that can hit corporate operations, risking terrible PR and outrage from customers.

You're It distills the wisdom the NPLI have gained from observing the way the most effective leaders take charge of situations with real confidence, marshal and connect different networks together, and bring their organizations, cities, and countries out through the other side of crisis into recovery. It is an essential book for anyone potentially facing a crisis or a wrenching change.

Critic reviews

"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, 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, co-founder 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 to when we are tested."—Juliette Kayyem, Former Assistant Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, 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, 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, U.S. House of Representatives, former governor, Kentucky

In person is better

Dr. Marcus is much better in person. His 6-hour seminar on the same topics was well worth my time.

Boring, dry delivery of common leadership principl

The material alternated between insightful crisis management techniques and common leadership principles with newly coined buzzwords to describe them. The narrator has a faltering delivery with a monotonous voice and cadence. As a member of a crisis response team, there were definitely takeaways from this course which I'll use. I might have preferred this as a "read" rather than a "listen" when I consider content over delivery.

Great course...great book!

If you have graduated from NPLI, the book is a great refresher of the concepts and framework for meta leadership and the skills required to lead in crisis and in a complex situations. If you haven’t, welcome to an introduction to meta leadership skills reenforced by actual stories of success and failures in crisis. I am glad that the real world contemporary crises and events have been weaved into the book to give NPLI graduates more recent examples to keep the conversation fresh and relevant. Tag, You’re It now NPLI. Thanks for continuing to teach and preach crisis leadership.

ENHANCEMENT

Great read to enhance your role in leadership and as a leader.

A must read!

Very dry and boring

The material is good - it is just presented in such a laborious and dry fashion.