Learning the Hard Way Is a Strategy. Just Not a Good One.
Profiles in Preparedness #68
Welcome back to The CP Journal, where we break down what it takes to get left of bang.
Take a moment to think about how preparedness often improves in public safety.
After Columbine, active shooter response changed.
After Hurricane Katrina, emergency management doctrine changed.
After the Boston Marathon Bombing, mass casualty coordination improved drastically.
Following the January 2025 fires in Los Angeles, how communities prepare for wind-driven wildfires, issue alerts and warnings, and evacuate entire neighborhoods is changing.
There are countless more we could add, especially when you look at major incidents from corporate security, business, cybersecurity, and any other field.
The pattern is hard to ignore. Many organizations only improve after something goes wrong.
But in an increasingly complex and fast-changing environment, that reactive approach is no longer enough.
On May 5th, we are hosting a webinar on how leaders can shift their organizations left of bang by treating preparedness as a capability, not just a collection of plans, purchases, training sessions, and projects.
The session builds off our recently published white paper, Preparing the Organization You Will Need: A Strategic Doctrine for Getting Left of Bang, and draws from major incidents and interviews with leaders across public safety, emergency management, and the private sector.
We’ll focus on three responsibilities for leaders who want to build the organization they will need before the next disruption occurs.
To learn more and to reserve your spot, click the button below.
Inside The CP Journal
This week, we unlocked a Left of Bang Leadership Essay—typically reserved for paying subscribers—for everyone to read.
This articles focuses on why organizations don’t naturally move left of bang—and what consistently pulls them back to a reactive posture, and the role leaders must play in creating and sustaining focus on problems that haven’t forced themselves into the room yet
If you’ve been thinking about what it actually takes to shift an organization—not just talk about it—this is the place to start.
Before You Go
Found this useful? Share it. If this sparked an idea, pass it along to someone responsible for getting left of bang. That’s how this work spreads.
If you want to go deeper, a paid subscription gives you access to advanced courses, playbooks, and exclusive leadership writing.
And if you’re asking the question many leaders eventually face—are we actually becoming more prepared, or just busier?—the first step is a Strategic Briefing, where we map how your organization is preparing today, identify where gaps exist, and what that means for your ability to perform when it matters.