"Blindsided offers practical, down-to-earth advice in dealing with crises. It is an excellent book which outlines step-by-step procedures on how to manage crisis situations and minimize fallout on organizations while keeping a moral compass. It is a must-have in a crisis manager's reading list, and an essential companion to a business continuity plan."
-- Lyndon Bird, Technical Director, The Business Continuity Institute
"While leaders are increasingly aware of the importance of crisis management, all too often they fail when the time comes. Executives have no shortage of advice [but] Bruce Blythe's book is different. It's packed with practically useful advice, covers virtually any type of crisis a company can encounter, and is filled with useful checklists and concrete steps. In short, what we have here is a step-by-step guide to process excellence.
"The book really shines in its understanding of people, and Bruce puts the human side of crisis management front and center. Crisis management involves the whole person. It magnifies virtues and flaws, and can bring out the best in people - and the worst. The book puts the reader right into the middle of a crisis, shows how even the best leaders can panic and why and gives concrete and actionable advice to be mentally ready for the crucible of leadership. Crisis leadership is not only about knowing and doing; it's also about who we are as people.
"Effective leaders connect deeply with their people, nowhere more than during a crisis. The essential need to take care of one's people during a crisis is one of the cornerstones of the book. This includes concrete steps from de-escalation meetings to crisis care. People, with their fears, concerns, and immediate needs, are always at the center of crisis leadership. Bruce calls its 'management with a heart,' and he takes the reader through some of the toughest moments in the life of a leader. But it is these moments that create legendary leaders or cut short a promising career.
"In sum, Bruce Blythe's book is a veritable encyclopedia of crisis leadership, rich in strategic insights, invaluable for any leader that wants to improve their organization's crisis management capabilities."
-- Dr. Daniel Diermeier, IBM Professor of Regulation and Competitive Practice, Department of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, and Director of Ford Motor Company Center for Global Citizenship at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
"The need to prepare your company for crisis has never been so clear. The guidance you need is in this book. Bruce Blythe has distilled his knowledge and experience into [a format] that is powerful, accessible and complete. It will help you lead your organization through disaster — mostly by helping you prepare for it.
"Having served as CEO of a Fortune 500 company, I appreciate the importance of addressing the needs of the business and those of our valued shareholders. We can address those needs only by making a sincere effort to attend to our people, who are truly our most valuable asset.
"I can personally attest to the value of the crisis management system that Bruce Blythe outlines in Blindsided. With such a system in place, I have seen the people at a company work through a major crisis together to become a stronger, more compassionate organization."
--Luke R. Corbett, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kerr-McGee Holdings, Inc.; Member, Board of Directors, OGE Energy Corp.
