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What are the unique decision-making challenges leaders face during crises?

In episode two of our Crisis Leadership series, unlock the secrets of crisis leadership and communication. Norwegian crisis specialist Kjell Brataas discusses why it's crucial to prepare for the unexpected and how leaders' critical choices impact employees, customers, vendors, and the general public. He gives us insight into the importance of delivering the right message and how communication shapes the long-term experiences of survivors and victims' families.

Explore essential strategies for effective crisis communication and leadership under pressure--including the need for advance preparation and the personal qualities vital for leading in tumultuous times. Kjell emphasizes the power of genuine, unscripted communication to build trust, especially in societies with varying levels of confidence in authority.

We also draw lessons from Norway's 2011 attacks and the country’s COVID-19 response, underlining the importance of openness and timely updates. Kjell’s experience in managing spontaneous memorials, family assistance centers, support groups, and memorial services illustrates crucial elements in disaster response planning.

Kjell Brataas is a Norwegian crisis specialist and author who has worked with crisis management, crisis communication and victim support on some of the biggest crises hitting Norway. His crisis work includes the tsunami in Asia in 2004, the terrorism attacks in Oslo and on Utøya on July 22nd 2011, and COVID-19.  He is a member of an expert group organized by Interpol which focused on crisis communication at large sporting events (Project Stadia) and the Humanitarian Assistance & Psychosocial Support Subgroup of the Counter Terrorism Preparedness Network (CTPN). He is also a National Expert at NATO. He now works as a Security Specialist for Group Security in DNB, Norway’s largest financial institution.

He is the author of Managing the Human Dimension of Disasters – Caring for the Bereaved, Survivors and First Responders (March 2021), and Crisis Communication – Case Studies and Lessons Learned from International Disasters (2018). You can learn more about Kjell on LinkedIn.

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Producer / Editor: Neel Panji

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