If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered how a leader navigates a state-wide catastrophe when the national government fails to provide a roadmap?
- What's the secret to maintaining public trust and making life-or-death decisions in the face of a rapidly evolving global pandemic?
- Are you curious about how New York transformed from the epicenter of a crisis into a model of resilience through radical transparency and clear communication?
Listen to American Crisis — Free Audiobook
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Key Takeaways from American Crisis
- Understand why misinformation from federal authorities and a failure to test the right demographics allowed COVID-19 to circulate undetected in New York for weeks.
- Discover how to effectively communicate during a crisis by providing unbiased, transparent facts without using language that incites public fear.
- Learn how a poorly worded phrase, such as calling an outbreak area a 'containment zone,' can unintentionally terrify the public and undermine a leader's message.
- Find out why the lack of a centralized national testing system turned early pandemic management into a bureaucratic nightmare of incompatible lab materials.
- See how New York state overcame flawed and limited federal testing kits by innovating its own reliable, rapid tests using commercially available chemical reagents.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from American Crisis
Mind Map
American Crisis
Early Outbreak & Federal Failures
Hidden Spread
Federal Misinformation
CDC Mistakes
False Security
Crisis Communication
Objective
Word Choice
Authenticity
Matilda's Law
State-Level Action & Innovation
Testing Independence
Surge & Flex System
Federal Pushback & Reopening
Trump's Priorities
State Abandonment
Legal Battle
Dual Crises (Health & Social)
George Floyd Protests
Systemic Inequality
Unity & Leadership Lessons
Public Unity
Emotional Intelligence
Actionable Advice
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 9
Why was the New York State government initially unaware that COVID-19 had been circulating in the city for weeks before the first official case?
American Crisis — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Weeks before the outbreak, the virus spread through New York unnoticed.
Chapter 3: In crises, leaders must share facts without inciting undue public panic.
Chapter 4: New York was the first U.S. state to independently create its very own COVID test.
Chapter 5: The coronavirus exposed why nations require a strong public health system.
Chapter 6: As a leader, displaying emotion and compassion is vital to gaining public support.
Chapter 7: President Trump’s sole focus was reopening the economy.
Chapter 8: After George Floyd’s death, New York simultaneously confronted severe social unrest and a major public-health crisis.
Chapter 9: New Yorkers’ unity helped significantly reduce the number of COVID-19 cases statewide.
American Crisis Summary & Overview
American Crisis (2020) is a candid retelling of how Governor Andrew Cuomo managed the COVID-19 crisis in one of the worst affected states in America: New York. It reveals the steps Cuomo took to steer New York through the early days of the pandemic in a country run by a president Cuomo sees as incapable of leadership. It also shows how real leadership requires honesty and transparency, clear communication, and compassion for others.
Who Should Listen to American Crisis?
- Anyone interested in American politics
- Leaders of organizations who want to learn about crisis management
- Those curious about how New York has fared throughout the crisis
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