17 Epilogue
I found this great list from Ashley Couto[1], who called it “11 signs you are a leader at work”:
- People come to you for Advice
- You spot Business Opportunities
- You Actively Develop Others’ Strengths
- You look for Solutions
- You see Patterns Others miss
- You fix Broken Processes
- Difficult Conversations do not Scare you
- You are Emotionally Intelligent
- Team Wins Excite you
- Change Energizes you
- You own your Mistakes Publicly
There are lots of self-help, wellness, self-actualization, and other types of books out there. And there are ton of really great leadership books, as well. My consulting firm publishes a reading list each year – and you can find our 2025 list at https://blog.bartondunant.com/2025-reading-list/ which has links at the end for the prior years’ lists. Most of these books are Emergency Management and/or leadership related.
John Maxwell’s High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides[2]
Maxwell’s chapter titles are like leadership quips and quotes themselves:
1. Bring People Together
2. Value All People
3. Acknowledge Your Humanness
4. Do the Right Things for the Right Reasons
5. Give More Than You Take
6. Develop Emotional Competency
7. Place People Above Your Own Agenda
8. Embrace Authenticity
9. Take Accountability for Your Actions
10. Live By the Bigger Picture
11. Don’t Keep Score
12. Desire the Best for Others
Maxwell also has his “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” book[3], which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025.
From the U.S. Navy Seals – unofficial (via Google Gemini)
- Extreme Ownership: Taking full responsibility for all outcomes, both successes and failures, and not making excuses. [1, 3]
- Decentralized Command: Empowering team members to make decisions on the ground, based on their understanding of the situation, rather than waiting for instructions from above. [2, 3]
- Mission Clarity: Ensuring everyone understands the overall mission and their specific role within it, fostering a sense of purpose and direction. [3]
- Decisive Action: Making quick, informed decisions, even in uncertain situations, and acting with confidence and purpose. [1, 3]
- Simplicity and Clarity: Avoiding unnecessary complexity and ensuring communication is clear and concise, allowing for efficient execution. [1, 3]
- Prioritize and Execute: Identifying the most critical tasks and focusing on their successful completion, even amidst chaos and uncertainty. [1, 3]
- Discipline Equals Freedom: Through rigorous training and adherence to standards, SEALs develop the discipline that allows them to improvise and adapt effectively in complex situations. [1, 3]
- Know Your People: Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of team members and leveraging their skills to achieve the mission. [5]
- Set the Example: Leading by example, demonstrating the behaviors and values that are expected of the team. [5]
- Cover and Move: A key concept in combat leadership, meaning to protect your team and move forward to achieve the mission. [3, 4]
I think for leadership in Emergency Management, four of the best ideals you can use to guide your work are part of the International Federation of the Red Cross’ Fundamental Principles. They are the substance to humanitarianism around disasters (again, that ‘before’, ‘during’, and ‘after’ timeframes):
Humanity
“The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavours, in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples.”
The principle of humanity expresses what the Movement places beyond anything else: the need to act in order to prevent and alleviate human suffering. Respect for human dignity and helping people—regardless of who and where they are—is paramount to everything we do.
Source: IFRC
This is where our prioritization of Life Safety is formalized in international doctrine (and law). If you are not prioritizing the prevention and alleviation of human suffering, Emergency Management is not the profession for you. And for the folks – for example – who help protect the environment through Emergency Management, what I mean is that you can’t put the needs of plants over people. It doesn’t mean there is not value in protecting the environment, just for the sake of protecting the environment.
Impartiality
“It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.”
Non-discrimination is one of the most important aspects of protecting human beings in human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law. Sadly, there are many factors for which people are discriminated against. The text of this principle does not include an exhaustive list of factors. But it makes clear that no group of people will be denied services or receive preferential treatment based on anything other than their needs.
Only by acting with impartiality can we ensure the Movement is trusted by all people to assist and protect them. We therefore have systems in place to ensure we deliver our support based on people’s needs alone and prioritize the most vulnerable at all times.
Source: IFRC
Impartiality may be a tougher one for some – especially those in government where they may be forced by others to decide whether to keep their jobs or keep their ethical standards. Can you imagine any first responder group (police, fire, EMS, etc.) being ordered to only rescue certain people from a disaster? It would be inhumane. Full stop. As a society, we do not ask first responders or doctors and nurses to be partial in the performance of their work or duties. And we need to do the same for professional Emergency Managers.
Neutrality
“In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.”
The Movement must not take sides, or be regarded as doing so, either in its speech or actions at any time or place. Neutrality ensures the Movement has the confidence of all and can provide humanitarian support to all.
Embodying the principle of neutrality at all times ensures the Movement can provide medical assistance to civilians and wounded or detained fighters during hostilities without being perceived as interfering in conflict. It is of the utmost importance that all parties in a conflict understand and respect the humanitarian role of a National Society.
Source: IFRC
Neutrality is going to be hard, too – especially those Emergency Managers associated with police/law enforcement agencies, or even government in general – from a couple of perspectives:
- If you are part of a larger organization which does take sides, like law enforcement during a civil unrest incident, these are your co-workers, friends, etc. who are being potentially harmed by others. Your “team’s” life safety may be on the line. It will be quite a challenge to support the “other team” with medical assistance, for example, in these situations.
- No matter what you do – or do not do – the “other team” and the public will perceive you as part of the “team”, and will see you as taking sides; as not being impartial. They may very well be reluctant to accept help, even if it is medical assistance during hostilities. This has occurred frequently in disasters which are not human-made conflicts, where the people from the government are perceived as the enemy of the public in need.
Both of these may be resolved by missioning Emergency Management functions such as mass care and public health and medical services through an independent NGO, such as the American Red Cross. Decisions (including collaboration, coordination, cooperation, and communication) which need to be made well in advance of such incidents, with training and exercising together to be included in the POETE process.
Independence
“The Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with the principles of the Movement.”
The principle of independence means that the Movement must resist any interference—be it political, ideological or economic—capable of diverting it from embodying the principles of humanity, impartiality and neutrality.
It is only by being truly independent that the Movement can respect these principles. Independence not only relates to the relationship between National Societies and States, but also between National Societies and any other forms of power or influence, such as religions, political parties, companies and so on.
Source: IFRC
Outside of the Red Cross, I would interpret this principle – especially for those in governments at all levels – as meaning that Emergency Management needs to be independent of Emergency Services or Emergency Response. At the local government level (well, as we saw in 2025 at any level of government) it is hard to separate emergency management-related actions from the political, ideological or economic interferences. In some cases, we have seen all three of these impact how emergency management roles and actions are undertaken. Leaders in professional Emergency Management must resist and call out when they see such interference.
Personally, I will give you a ‘pass’ if you cannot conform to this principle (unless you are with any of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, of course); but it will be between you and your conscience as to how long you can avoid adopting and integrating this principle for yourself. If you are in a role which puts political, ideological or economic concerns above humanity, impartiality and neutrality; I believe you should not think of yourself (or call yourself) a professional Emergency Manager.
It has always been, and will always be a personal decision to be a humanitarian in the full sense of the definition, or not.
If you have read this book all the way to this end point, you have seen how my professional life has transpired, when it comes to Emergency Management. These are the leadership lessons I have learned and applied. I am now at a career point where I no longer work for government or NGOs directly, but yet I still have the opportunity to support those organizations – and the public – for disaster preparedness, response, and relief. I also have the opportunity to craft and advocate for professional Emergency Managers – especially leaders – to be just that: professional.
I’m all in – are you?
#SeeTheProblemFixTheProblem
Michael Prasad, CEM®.
International Federation of the Red Cross
Non-Governmental Organization, can include both for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Planning, Organizing, Equipping, Training and Exercising
