In a recent article published by Crain’s Detroit Business,, Mike Barger, clinical assistant professor of business administration at Michigan Ross, JetBlue co-founder, and Sanger Research Lab member, challenges organizations to rethink how they approach crisis. His argument is direct: disruption is no longer episodic. It is part of the operating environment.
Drawing on his experience building organizations and studying high-stakes decision-making, Barger explains that effective crisis response is rarely about heroic leadership in the moment. Instead, it stems from disciplined preparation over time. The teams that respond with speed and credibility are those that have already clarified roles, aligned decision rights, and built trust before anything goes wrong.
For leaders, the implications are practical. Build readiness into everyday operations rather than treating it as a contingency plan. Define who decides what before urgency clouds judgment. Map key stakeholders and communication channels in advance. Run simulations, then conduct after-action reviews so learning compounds. Resilience is not improvised—it is practiced.