Best of Multimedia: When Disaster Strikes, We Tune In
Catastrophes bring out the true nature of a leader’s innate capacity to do the right thing.
(originally published by Booz & Company)I’ve been following the mystery of the Malaysian airlines disappearance with a mix of deep concern and disturbed fascination. How is it possible that so many days could go by and still we know so little about what happened to the Boeing 777?
Our attraction to tales of disaster is nothing new. Much has been written about other historic tragedies like the Bubonic plague in the 14th century, the Great Fire of London in 1666, the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, the sinking of the Titanic, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
In this podcast, Harvard Business Review editor Andrew O’Connell explains why we find tales of disaster so gripping—and why they raise an important question for each of us: Would you have the grit to do the right thing?
Our Bizarre Fascination with Stories of Doom
