Resources & Insights
Crisis management thought leadership, practical playbooks, and expert guidance from the frontlines of organizational crisis response.
Texas vs. MIT and the Trump Compact: Two Strategies, Two Realities — And Why 'Who Wins?' Is the Wrong Question
UT Austin and MIT are not playing on the same field when responding to the Compact for Academic Excellence. Their different strategies reveal how institutional context shapes crisis response.
Managing ICE Activity on Campus: What Colleges Can Learn from North Carolina
ICE activity is increasingly landing on leadership dashboards. North Carolina universities are providing one of the clearest examples of how to manage these moments with steadiness and clarity.
When Your SSO Gets Breached: What Penn Teaches Us About the Crisis That Follows
Every single sign-on login is now a single point of failure. Learn what Penn teaches us about the gap between technical containment and stakeholder trust.
Inclusivity in a Polarized World: Navigating DEI Changes Without Losing Your Soul – And Critical Stakeholders – Along the Way
Organizations across sectors are facing intense scrutiny over changes to their DEI policies and programs. This playbook – developed with CrisisCommand FOOD for a hypothetical restaurant company – offers stakeholder insights, practical considerations, and a strategic roadmap to guide teams in a steady, human way.
Division I University — NCAA Sports Betting Transition Playbook
The NCAA's new betting policy takes effect November 1. This playbook helps Division I athletic departments navigate the transition—identifying vulnerabilities, clarifying communication, and strengthening integrity programs before confusion becomes violation.
From Silence to Strategy: How Universities Can Lead — Not React — in the Compact Era
The White House Compact is now open to every university. This framework maps ten strategies universities can use to respond effectively.
An Open Letter to Presidents Now Invited to Sign the Compact
The White House Compact for Academic Excellence has expanded to invite all universities. This pronouncement turns a limited negotiation into a national leadership test.
The Live Crisis Method: How Leaders Regain Control When Every Minute Counts
Crisis management has always been about judgment under pressure. Learn how the Live Crisis Method helps leadership teams move from chaos to clarity with structured rhythm and AI-driven precision.
The Compact Dilemma: What Universities Face --- and What They Can Learn
Understanding the unspoken agreements between institutions and stakeholders, and what happens when federal policy forces impossible choices.
ROI or RPO? Managing Donors in the NIL Era
As higher education faces mounting pressure, athletic directors must navigate quarterbacks as million-dollar balance sheets, donor expectations, and institutional stress tests in the NIL era.
Why the Kimmel Controversy Has Every Board Asking: What If It's Our Employee?
When an employee's political speech goes viral, companies find themselves trapped between outrage, accusations, and questions of consistency. Learn what past cases teach us about navigating these moments.
Why Some Food Brands Survive Crises and Others Get Eaten Alive
A Q&A with Brooke Hovey exploring what separates food brands that weather storms from those that crumble under pressure.
Built to Educate, Not to Fight: Higher Ed's Structural Crisis
Why America's research universities are under coordinated pressure and how their strengths have become vulnerabilities in a crisis-rich environment.
Most Leaders Hate Preparing for a Crisis
The psychological barriers that prevent effective crisis preparation and how to overcome them through simulation and rehearsal.
When the President Becomes the Crisis
What happens when leadership itself becomes the flashpoint, and how organizations navigate this ultimate crisis scenario.
AI Gives You Time Back for What Matters
How AI reclaims valuable time for leadership teams, allowing them to focus on strategy instead of being trapped in crisis triage.
AI Will Be in Your Next Crisis. The Only Question Is Who's Controlling It.
AI isn't plug-and-play. Learn why onboarding AI systems requires the same rigor as implementing enterprise software.