Henry J. Evans
Every leader faces a crisis.
Few are ready.
Launching across all major outlets
The Blueprint for Leading Through Chaos
Crisis is the ultimate test of leadership. Whether you are dealing with literal "bombs" in a combat zone, a sudden supply-chain collapse, or a threat to your company’s survival, the underlying strategic and emotional pressures are the same.
The Science of Resilience.
The Reality of the Trenches.
In Bombs, Bacon, and Bankruptcy, Henry J. Evans distills 25 years of high-stakes experience—including two decades consulting on classified counterterrorism operations after 9/11—into a definitive field manual for business leaders.
Merging neuroscience, psychology, and real-world battle-testing to equip you for chaos.
Balance the Timeline
Manage immediate crisis demands without sacrificing long-term strategy.
Decide with Clarity
Know exactly when to trust data and AI, and when to rely on human intuition.
​Enforce Accountability
Build an Emotional Safety® culture where teams report bad news fast and collaborate under pressure.
Protect the Leader
Support your organization’s critical needs while safeguarding your own well-being.
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How do you define a crisis?
Part I: Understanding Your Crisis
Chapter 1: Why Is Crisis Leadership So Hard?
Eight consistent factors that make crisis leadership uniquely difficult: time pressure, threat assessment, limbic system hijack, and communication breakdown.
Chapter 2: Bombs — A Terrorism Crisis
Declassified counterterrorism tactics from a massive, seven-year IED crisis involving 8,000 personnel—including SAR radar, intelligence databases, and covert licensing—are translated directly into actionable business leadership principles.
Chapter 3: Bacon — A Pandemic Crisis
A multibillion-dollar Northeastern supermarket chain navigates the chaos of COVID-19—from supply chain collapse and union ultimatums to panic buying—while executing a massive operational overhaul and long-term transformation strategy.
Chapter 4: Bankruptcy — A Succession Crisis
A family manufacturing company collapses following the sudden death of its founder, illustrating how extended grief can trigger a months-long amygdala hijack that completely overrides rational decision-making.
Part III: Planning Your Strategy
Chapter 8: Assess the Three Levels of Threats
Incubating, emerging, and acute threat framework drawn from live counterterrorism threat assessment.
Chapter 9: Blend Data (AI) and Intuition (HI) to Make Decisions
The Priority Quadrants tool helps determine when to trust data and when to rely on intuition. Use AI as a tool for crisis management, not as a substitute for sound judgment.
Chapter 10: Balance Old Ways and New Ways
Understand how legacy organizations can be blindsided. Recognize when to preserve effective practices and when to innovate.
Chapter 11: Save Today and Tomorrow
Manage crisis response and long-term transformation at the same time. Apply the 90-Day Sprint framework within a crisis context.
Part II: Mobilizing Your People
Chapter 5: Ground Yourself, Then Focus Your Team
Box Breathing, adapted from Navy SEAL protocol. Achieving objectivity quickly is the crisis leader's first priority. "Put your own mask on first."
Chapter 6: Trust and Delegate to the Right People
Four decision-making models: autocratic, consensus, democratic, and consultative. Consultative approaches are most effective in a crisis. Prioritize expertise over seniority, even if it means moving beyond traditional organizational charts.
Chapter 7: Create Accountability and Emotional Safety®
Leaders use Emotional Safety® to foster accountability without fear. Encourage your team to report bad news promptly to enable swift leadership response.
Part IV: Executing With Excellence
Chapter 12: Shift to Execution — at the Right Time
Transitioning from planning to execution: how to determine when planning is sufficient.
Chapter 13: Stick to the Plan — or Don't
Recognize when discipline becomes stubbornness. Learn how to pivot without losing team alignment.
Chapter 14: Get Your Communications Straight
Lead crisis communications by delivering concise, clear, and frequent updates to your team, board, media, and customers.
Conclusion
You Are the Hero
Three Crises. One Crisis Leadership System.
This book was not created from theory. Every tool inside was tested under real pressure, both in high-stakes situations and in boardrooms with everything on the line.
Bombs
Roadside bombs (IEDs) caused over 2,000 combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Henry J. Evans was one of 8,000 specialists recruited to tackle this threat.
He believes strong civilian leadership is the key to motivating teams through even the most insurmountable, high-stakes challenges.
Bacon
March 2020: Supply chains faltered, store shelves emptied, and unions considered strikes over COVID-related safety concerns.
Henry J. Evans was on-site.
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A supermarket chain on the edge taught a crisis consultant how to bring people together during chaos.
Bankruptcy
Henry J. Evans couldn’t save this one.
When the founder passed away, a leadership vacuum opened the door for the bankers, and the family business began to unravel.
It was a harsh lesson: When leaders fail to step up, a crisis only accelerates. In those high-stakes moments, you have to find the courage to act differently.
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Bring the Book to Your Organization
Signed bookplate editions (Henry J. Evans' personal inscription)
Custom bulk order portal for corporate receipt reconciliation
Virtual Q&A with Henry Evans for groups of 25 or more
Keynote + book table packages for conferences and live events