Course of Action lecture series

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in rapid, sweeping changes to the business community.

In this new world, leaders managed the challenges of remote operations, financial market instability, supply-chain disruptions and unprecedented uncertainty.In the spring of 2020, the School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology created a virtual lecture series to help leaders stay the course in some of the darkest hours of the crisis. These talks offer practical insights that can readily be applied at work.

Leading Through Outbreak: Resilience, Compassion and Connection

Authentic leadership is felt most in times of crisis, when effective managers are able to reassure and motivate their charges in support of the mission. This talk offers specific guidance for leaders on how to tap into resilience and compassion to elevate efficacy, purpose and connection — in others and in ourselves.

Curing Chaos: Leadership Lessons From Healthcare

Leadership in the healthcare industry is not without its unique challenges — but at the end of the day, the qualities that drive a successful leader in crisis are very similar to most other disciplines. This talk presents a set of strategies leaders can immediately apply to ensure their staff performance is maximized during a crisis, using real-world examples and field-proven methods to showcase relevant takeaways.

Infecting the Financial Markets

The earliest days of the pandemic struck the financial markets for losses of between 30% and 40% of their value. What is really happening in the financial markets? What do the signals coming out of the market represent, and what do they mean for investors and the system as a whole? This talk will sort out some of the knowns, unknowns, and unknown unknowns of the current crisis.

Collectivism in Crisis

COVID-19 put Americans’ savings shortfalls in stark relief. A Bankrate survey found only 40 percent of Americans could pay an unexpected $1,000 expense — such as an emergency room visit — and amid the pandemic, many have been laid off, furloughed or are otherwise unable to work. This talk explores how a collective approach might help forge much-needed safety nets?

Who Can I Trust? Social Media and Disaster

Online platforms can be extremely helpful to exchange information and seek interaction during times of quarantine and social distancing — but they can also be a source of misinformation. Fake news and unfounded opinions can mislead users, cause panic, and lead to actions that prevent communities and countries from effectively addressing serious challenges. This talk presents strategies to help users evaluate the validity of online information.

Social Distancing Meets Inclusive Leadership

Keeping up at the task of social distancing can threaten our sense of belonging and give rise to exclusionary behaviors, even subconsciously. This talk examines why we need to demonstrate inclusiveness, especially during a pandemic; what specific actions we can take to make others feel they are valuable members of the organization; and how inclusiveness empowers us to recover, recharge and reimagine.

Managing Supply Chains Amid Turbulence

Pandemic-driven disruptions to supply chains create all kinds of painful and hard-to-predict challenges for companies. This talk will explore how analytical techniques can deliver insights that empower leaders to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk and transform their businesses in turbulent times.

Flattening The Curve, Limiting The Pain

The main response to viral pandemic is to flatten the curve — but doing so effectively might require repeated economic shutdowns, a strategy that would send the global economy into recession. This talk explores what we can learn for the future in terms of economic planning, both domestically and internationally.