Urgency can be a positive force in companies, says leadership expert and HBS professor emeritus John P. Kotter. His new book, A Sense of Urgency (Harvard Business Press), makes that conviction clear. Our excerpt describes how leaders might skillfully transform a crisis into an organizational motivator for the better. Key concepts include:

Always think of crises as potential opportunities, and not only dreadful problems that automatically must be delegated to the damage control specialists.

Plans and actions should always focus on others’ hearts as much or more than their minds.

If you are at a middle or low level in an organization and see how a crisis can be used as an opportunity, identify and then work with an open-minded and approachable person who can take the lead.

To read the full excerpt of the book click here.

This summary is being republished with permission of HBS Working Knowledge