Leading in Tough Times: Resources for Charity Leaders

ARTICLES

“How to Be a Good Boss in a Bad Economy”

In a Harvard Business Review article published in June, Robert I. Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University, describes why it is difficult to lead well in hard economic times and what the best leaders do when fear among employees is rampant, confidence and performance are slipping, and the path ahead may be difficult for many years.

“Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis”

Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, and Marty Linsky of Cambridge Leadership Associates, in Massachusetts, explain in the July-August issue of Harvard Business Review why they believe conditions will not return to normal when the economy recovers. They argue that a different style of leadership is needed now, not only to navigate organizations through the emergency phase of the economic crisis but also to be alert to continued high stakes in its aftermath.

BOOKS

Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change

Jeremy Gutsche, a business executive, explains how organizations can find new opportunities amid economic turmoil and a rapidly changing competitive environment. Publisher: Penguin Group, http://us.penguingroup.com; $20.

The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World

Written by two co-founders and the managing director of Cambridge Leadership Associates, a Massachusetts company that advises charities, companies, and government agencies, this new book shows leaders how they and their organizations can adapt to the economy’s rapid changes. Publisher: Harvard Business Press, http://harvardbusiness.org; $24.95.