18 Mar 2026
On 12 March, the School of Management Fribourg welcomed General Philippe Boutinaud for a lecture titled Leadership in Extreme Situations: The Case of the 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks.
Drawing on his first-hand experience, the former Commander of the Paris Fire Brigade delivered a clear and compelling analysis, highlighting lessons that can be directly applied to leadership challenges and organisational change. His insights provided practical guidance for strengthening organisational resilience in the face of crises.
A few key takeaways from his speech:
- Chaos is inevitable, but preparation gives us the ability to navigate it without losing direction.
- Anticipation helps us develop reflexes, rather than enabling us to predict crises.
- Organisational structures must encourage autonomy, as overly rigid systems quickly reveal their limitations in practice.
- Information management is critical. Explaining decisions is just as important as making them.
- Feedback is essential for learning and achieving sustainable progress.
- Understanding one’s vulnerabilities is a key driver of strategic awareness.
- Resilience is built through adversity, with discipline, humility and support.
We warmly thank General Philippe Boutinaud for his insightful speech, and the many attendees for their interest, engagement and participation.
