Tags: Risk Leadership
May 1, 2025
Resource Type: Risk eNews
Risk Leadership with Situational Awareness
My dog Braxton recently reminded me of an important life skill: situational awareness. Braxton is a medium sized, predominantly Labrador mix with a fervor for playing frisbee. When I open the door, she waits for my signal to go out....
Topics: General
March 17, 2025
Resource Type: Risk eNews
Your Top Risks are Mysteries, Not Puzzles
By Melanie Lockwood Herman It may not surprise you that many people who are drawn to risk management are undaunted by puzzles. At NRMC we often hear a commitment to “figure this out,” or “sort and rank our risks.” My...
Topics: Organizational Culture, Risk Assessment, Risk Basics
February 4, 2025
Resource Type: Risk eNews
How to Simplify and Streamline During a Crisis
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “An infinite-minded leader does not simply want to build a company that can weather change but one that can be transformed by it. They want to build a company that embraces surprises and adapts with them.”...
January 27, 2025
Resource Type: Risk eNews
Cultivate Your Risk Manager Superpowers
When was your last big risk management win? Did you feel like you’d earned your superhero cape? Reflecting on our successes can help us build on areas where we excel as risk managers. It can also help us identify areas...
Topics: General
December 10, 2024
Resource Type: Risk eNews
Learn, Don’t Ruminate, About Past Disruptions
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “That could have been so much worse!” I replied to a friend telling me about his disrupted morning commute due to a tire sidewall failure on a busy highway. After the conversation ended, it occurred to...
November 18, 2024
Resource Type: Articles, Risk eNews
Good Problems: Why Risks (Possibilities) Are Exactly What Your Mission Needs
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve recently finished a book by the blogger Mark Manson. I found many delightful surprises in Manson’s writing, and a few unnerving ones. While I embrace the knotty dilemmas in risk management, I recognize that many...
November 12, 2024
Resource Type: Articles, Risk eNews
Optimist or Pessimist? Risk Management Needs Both.
By Melanie Lockwood Herman I’ve just returned from a wonderful vacation with a college friend I’ve known for many decades. During our adventures in a place neither of us knew much about, we reveled in our shared interests and marveled...
August 7, 2024
Resource Type: Risk eNews
It’s OK to Laugh About Risk Management. Really.
While prepping for an upcoming speaking engagement, my point of contact warned me: “Don’t be surprised if members of the audience share humorous anecdotes and comments when you invite their participation.” This news was a great relief! Before walking up...
Topics: General
June 26, 2024
Resource Type: Risk eNews
Eliminate Excess to Nourish Your Risk Management Function
In his book, From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks writes that “As we grow older in the West, we generally think we should have a lot to show for our lives—a lot of trophies. According to more Eastern thinking, this is...
Topics: Enterprise Risk Management
June 19, 2024
Resource Type: Risk eNews
Keep Calm and Carry on Embracing Possibilities
“Possibilities are always more interesting than facts. We shouldn’t frown on fact, but our world is congested with them. But for every fact that becomes a fact, there are seven, eight, maybe five hundred possibilities hanging around in the background...
Topics: General