Leadership is undergoing a profound transformation in our interdependent world. The dispersal of knowledge, the rise of new media, and declining faith in existing power structures have all had profound implications for what it means to be a leader. Traditional top-down power structures have been challenged both in geopolitical terms and in the corporate world. The velocity of decisionmaking—and message management—in crisis situations has accelerated. For example, a decade ago, the media expected authorities to issue guidance on an unfolding crisis within 24 hours; now, the window for dominating the information space has shrunk to a matter of minutes. Some important insights can be gleaned from the aftermath of last year’s Great East Japan Earthquake and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The importance of rapid, transparent communication and adaptive leadership models based on networks of empowered individuals is needed. Overall, the gap between public and private sector leaders must be bridged to improve communication and encourage new partnerships to tackle today’s complex, interconnected risks