Emerging from Crisis: The Destructive Trap of “Returning to Normal”

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our organizations are hit with crises. One of the biggest mistakes leaders make in dealing with these crises, regardless of the type of crisis, is focusing on the very tempting approach of “getting back to normal”. While there are few upsides to crises, one thing they do provide is an opportunity to change or get rid of bad practices that had emerged over time but were not addressed previously because we often resist change generally, and especially changes that might cause upset amongst key members of the organization. This talk points out the most obvious places to look for improvements following a crisis and provides practical tips on how those areas can be addressed to strengthen your organization moving forward.

 

About Tim London

Dr Tim London is the Founding Partner of Dwyer + London Consulting Previously, he held roles such as Head of Organisational Innovation and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, Director of Programmes (University of Cambridge, Director of Education and Teaching Fellow (Queen’s University Belfast, and other roles in the educational space. During his career, he has developed organizations and leaders in both the for-profit and non-profit arenas. He has published articles, book chapters, and a book on leadership issues. His current work focuses on the importance of developing purpose and core values and how leaders, in all sectors, can use purpose and values to strengthen, develop, and focus their organizations.

His academic qualifications include a BA in Psychology (Colgate University, USA), a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (University of Illinois-Springfield, USA), a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (PGCHET) and a Master of Laws in Corporate Governance & Public Policy (both from Queens University Belfast, UK), an MBA with a focus on Entrepreneurship (University of Liverpool, UK), and a Doctorate in Leadership, Policy, and Organizations (Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, USA).