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Bryan Strawser challenges a common but damaging leadership instinct: the urge for executives to take over and micromanage during a crisis. He explains that this kind of performative leadership creates bottlenecks, slows decision-making, and undermines the expertise of the crisis team when speed and clarity matter most. Strawser emphasizes that effective crisis leadership requires nuance—balancing time in the weeds with a strategic, enterprise-wide perspective. Leaders must resist ego-driven behavior, trust their trained teams, and focus on aligning the organization, communicating effectively, and protecting long-term business outcomes. The episode underscores a critical truth: if leaders cannot trust their teams to manage …

In Episode #323: The Fog of War, Bryan Strawser explores the reality leaders face in the first moments of a crisis—when information is incomplete, conflicting, or entirely absent. Drawing on his experience during the Boston Marathon manhunt, he emphasizes that waiting for perfect information is a losing strategy; leaders must act decisively based on what they know while clearly acknowledging what they do not. The episode introduces a practical decision-making framework grounded in “known knowns,” “known unknowns,” and the critical risk of “unknown unknowns.” Strawser reinforces that silence is not neutral—it is a decision that creates space for others to …

Six weeks into 2026 is the right moment to pause and assess whether your resilience program is aligned with how your organization is actually operating today. In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser challenges leaders to revalidate their risk landscape, critical process priorities, and crisis readiness before the year accelerates. Early-year course correction is far easier than mid-year crisis recovery. Bryan outlines the key questions every resilience leader should be asking now, from whether your Business Impact Analysis still reflects reality to whether your exercise calendar targets enterprise-level risk. He also explores how cyber threats, geopolitical instability, …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser explores how Chief Risk Officers and resilience leaders can develop the next generation of risk talent—by focusing on business fluency as a core leadership capability. As the risk function continues to evolve, technical excellence alone is no longer enough. The most effective leaders are those who can translate risk into strategic advantage and influence decisions at the highest levels. Bryan unpacks insights from a recent McKinsey article and ties them to Bryghtpath’s own white paper, The Strategic Edge: Wielding Influence as a Resilience Leader. He shares practical strategies for cultivating …

In this episode, Bryan Strawser explores how resilience and business continuity leaders can effectively champion their programs by communicating with influence. He outlines how to keep executives informed, explain the real business value of your program, and share meaningful metrics that demonstrate progress. Bryan also discusses the importance of storytelling and using impact-focused communication to build credibility. Drawing from Bryghtpath’s The Strategic Edge whitepaper, this episode reframes communication as a leadership tool—not just an update mechanism. You’ll learn practical techniques to shift from simply reporting activity to driving engagement, alignment, and strategic investment. Whether you’re just gaining traction or advancing …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath CEO Bryan Strawser shares lessons from a recent week of paramedic skills training. As he practiced high-stakes procedures like IV insertions and airway management, Bryan was reminded of a fundamental truth: repetition builds muscle memory—and that muscle memory saves lives. This insight directly applies to how we approach crisis management and organizational resilience. Bryan draws a clear connection between clinical skill repetition and the value of regular crisis exercises. Just as paramedics must perform under pressure without hesitation, Crisis Management Teams must respond with clarity and speed when it matters most. …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath CEO Bryan Strawser explores why resilience leaders must have total command of their own programs to maintain credibility and influence. When executives ask pointed questions about recovery time objectives, critical processes, or current risks, hesitation or vague responses can quickly erode trust. You don’t need to recite every line of a continuity plan—but you must understand the strategy, current state, and gaps of your program cold. Bryan outlines what you need to know without reference material, how to build that command over time, and why this level of preparedness is essential …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores key insights from Forrester’s 2025 report, Building a Security Org for the Future. Bryan breaks down how cybersecurity leadership is shifting from tactical execution to strategic influence—where CISOs are now expected to lead through credibility, relationships, and alignment with business outcomes. The episode offers a clear perspective on why traditional control-based security models are no longer enough. Bryan outlines the essential transformations security leaders must prioritize: building federated teams, communicating risk in business language, and aligning investments to enterprise performance and trust. He shares …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, explores key insights from the 2025 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report. He discusses how modern adversaries are behaving more like high-speed startups—leveraging generative AI, identity compromise, and sophisticated non-malware tactics to scale attacks quickly. With breakout times now averaging just 62 minutes, the threat landscape demands faster detection, tighter controls, and executive-level urgency. Bryan outlines critical shifts in adversary behavior, from the rise of ransomware-as-a-service to the increased use of AI for phishing and social engineering. He shares strategic takeaways for resilience and security leaders, …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser, Principal and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath, unpacks the key findings from the 2025 National Risk Study by Deloitte and NEMA. This nationwide assessment reveals the stark realities facing state emergency management agencies—rising disaster complexity, funding challenges, workforce gaps, and outdated systems. Bryan explores why these findings matter now more than ever and what leaders can do to turn risk into resilience. You’ll hear why strategic planning, modernization, and leadership investment are no longer optional in emergency management. Bryan breaks down the study’s four strategic imperatives and outlines practical steps resilience …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores the operational, reputational, and strategic risks organizations face when a major cloud provider like AWS experiences an outage. Bryan breaks down why most companies are underprepared for large-scale cloud disruptions and what executive leaders must do differently to ensure continuity. He also outlines how cloud dependency should be treated as an enterprise risk—one that deserves board-level attention and investment. Bryan shares practical actions organizations can take to build greater resilience, from conducting robust Business Impact Analyses to testing real-world failover scenarios. He discusses how …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryghtpath Principal & Chief Executive Bryan Strawser explores how to design and lead effective crisis or continuity exercises with your Board of Directors. These sessions are often filled with hesitation, but when approached with clarity and strategic framing, they become a powerful opportunity to build influence and drive alignment at the highest level of the organization. Bryan shares how to move beyond traditional tabletop exercises and instead facilitate a meaningful dialogue on risk, readiness, and executive decision-making. You’ll learn how to reframe exercises as strategic conversations, choose scenarios that matter to the …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser walks through ten high-impact crisis scenarios that organizations should prioritize in their tabletop exercises for 2025. From cyber extortion and data exfiltration to executive malfeasance and misinformation, these scenarios are drawn from real-world threats affecting the world’s leading companies. Bryan outlines how each scenario challenges leadership, disrupts operations, and demands cross-functional readiness. This episode is a strategic guide for resilience, business continuity, and crisis management professionals who want to build better exercises and strengthen organizational preparedness. Bryan also shares insight on compound crises—where multiple threats unfold at once—and why now …

In this episode, Bryan Strawser tackles one of the most frustrating patterns in resilience and continuity programs: the trap of check-the-box compliance. He unpacks how performative efforts that focus solely on documentation or audits undermine actual readiness and stall progress toward maturity. Bryan also explores the equally dangerous alternative—doing nothing—and why that’s no better. Instead, Bryan lays out a clear, actionable approach to building both capability and maturity without overcomplicating your program. From anchoring efforts in business value to leveraging influence across the organization, this episode offers practical guidance for moving forward—even when you’re not fully “ready.” If you’re stuck …

In this episode of the Managing Uncertainty Podcast, Bryan Strawser of Bryghtpath explores the critical role of the Board of Directors during times of crisis. Boards are often looked to for leadership and assurance, but their responsibilities are frequently misunderstood. Bryan outlines how directors can provide strategic oversight without stepping into operational decision-making. Drawing on best practices from global standards and real-world examples, Bryan highlights how boards can support management teams, enable resources, and protect organizational reputation. He also examines common pitfalls that boards must avoid and offers practical guidance for engaging in crisis preparedness. Listeners will come away with …