In the context of our increasingly VUCA world and with the proliferation of modern crises, crisis management has evolved into a key task area that is no longer critical only to the energy, aviation, and security sectors and neither is it only the work of appointed crisis managers. Beyond the traditional acute crises, there are creeping crises, looming crises and black swan events, and also crises that have multiple, differentiated and non-linear trajectories. What then are the structures and capabilities necessary for organisations and leaders to be prepared to face this diverse range of modern crisis situations? The book presents several key competencies that crisis leaders and managers should possess and develop for effective crisis management. For instance, leaders would have to possess digital and cross-cultural competence, embody adaptive authenticity, manage tasks, engage in collective sensemaking, display transformative and agile leadership, and manage misinformation. The genesis of the qualities entailed a literature review, opinion surveys administered to officers who manage crises in their roles, and interviews with leaders and incident managers, as well as discussions with subject matter experts on the topic of Crisis Leadership. This book offers practitioners a better understanding of essential crisis leadership qualities and practical recommendations for action and development. Beyond the crisis leader, the book will also highlight the importance of the crisis-ready organisation and network. The interplay between the crisis leader and the broader organisational and operating systems in shaping effective crisis management will be discussed, with implications for leaders and organisations in developing and enhancing the crisis ecosystem so that crises can be effectively prevented, managed and learned from.
Dr Majeed Khader is a pioneering forensic psychologist in Singapore and the Director of the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre. He is concurrently the Chief Psychologist of the Ministry of Home Affairs. He is also the Asian Director of the US based Society of Police and Criminal Psychology. A graduate from the National University of Singapore, Majeed also holds a Masters degree (with Distinction) in Forensic Psychology from Leicester University (UK) and a PhD in Psychology, (specializing in crisis and personality) from Aberdeen University, Scotland.
Ms Diong Siew Maan is the Deputy Director of the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre and concurrently the Director of the Centre for Advanced Psychological Sciences, Ministry of Home Affairs. Together with her team, Siew Maan has developed an assessment and selection framework to help the ministry select high potential law enforcement and emergency rescue officers. This selection framework uses the assessment centre methodology with exercises that are designed for the Home Team context.
Ms Eunice Tan is a Principal Psychologist and Senior Assistant Director of the Operations and Leadership Psychology Branch, Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre (HTBSC), Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore. In this role, she oversees and leads her team in psychological research and support services in the domain of operations and leadership psychology, particularly in the areas of talent management, crisis and command leadership, as well as organisational research and interventions.
Ms Brenda Toh is a Psychologist with the Operations and Leadership Psychology Branch, Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre (HTBSC), Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore. Her work responsibilities include research on crisis and command leadership, the selection and development of talent, as well as organisational health and well-being. Brenda holds a Masters degree (with Distinction) in Psychology from the National University of Singapore (NUS). She is deeply interested in the areas of social psychology as well as industrial and organisational psychology. She is also a member of the Society of Police and Criminal Psychology (SPCP).
Dr Sheryl Chua is a full-time lecturer at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), Public Safety and Security Programme. She is a certified para-counsellor and is trained in critical incident stress management (CISM), suicide first aid and psychological first aid. Sheryl completed her PhD in Psychology with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2017. Her research interests include crisis and command leadership, critical incident management, and entrepreneurship.
