The Moment for Meta-Leadership

Eric McNulty is the Associate Director of The National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI). NLPI is a joint venture of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Division of Policy Translation and Leadership Development and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.

NLPI has a crisis leadership training and research program dedicated to preparing those who lead in safety and security, business continuity, and disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. They have trained more than 10,000 leaders across 30 U.S. States and 10 countries.

Which brings us to the book. I originally tracked down Eric to understand a term he used: Meta Leadership. This took us on a journey to understand the term ‘leadership’ and the need for a big picture view.

Why is this needed? Today, in an instant, leaders can find themselves face-to-face with crisis. An active shooter. A media controversy. A data breach. In You're It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most, the faculty of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University takes you to the front lines of some of the toughest decisions facing our nation's leaders-from how to mobilize during a hurricane or in the aftermath of a bombing to halting a raging pandemic. They also take readers through the tough decision-making inside the world's largest companies, hottest startups, and leading nonprofits.

Eric McNulty and his co-authors introduce readers to the pragmatic model and methods of Meta-Leadership. They show you how to understand what is happening during a moment of crisis and change, what to do about it, and how to hone these skills to lead high-performing teams. Then, when crisis hits, you can pivot to be the leader people follow when it matters most.