ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns the need for leaders to empower their employees if they want to build resilient organizations. As previous chapters have made clear, the exact nature, impact, and outcomes of a major crisis cannot be predicted ahead of time; it is therefore impossible to provide employees with very specific instructions to navigate a post-disaster environment. Instead, leaders, directors, and managers need to work with their employees to establish “guiding principles.” Guiding principles allow employees to make decisions and take action in the face of uncertainty and volatility. The chapter discusses the difference between routines, heuristics, and improvisation, and when to use each. It also discusses recent innovations in project management and how they can be applied to build resilient organizations. Innovation will not come from following a script; creative solutions come from a combination of training, experience, experimentation, and empowerment.
