Seven great disasters. And the seven cascade events that led to each happening. What can we learn from these blood lessons? How can we prevent similar ones in the future? What should good leaders do?

2. Every catastrophe requires seven
things to go wrong.
Six Cascade events leading to the
7th event, the Catastrophe. At least
one of the Cascade events involves
human error. Thus most
catastrophes can be avoided.
Shit Doesn’t Just Happen

3. By studying past catastrophes we
can learn to avoid future ones.
Focusing on the Cascade Events and
how they can be stopped is key!
The Gift of Failure

4. Book II covers:
Challenger Explosion
The Last Czar
The Sultana Explosion
St. Francis Dam Failure
The Sinking of the Kursk
Pearl Harbor
Uruguayan Flight 571 Alive!

5. The Challenger: Organizational Failure

6. “I am appalled by your
recommendation.” NASA
reference recommendation by
Thiokol engineers who designed
the boosters not to launch
Challenger

7. The Last Czar:
Leadership Failure

8. "I am not prepared to be a tsar. I
never wanted to become one. I
know nothing of the business of
ruling." Nicholas II, last Czar of
Russia.

9. The Sultana Explosion

10. “If we arrive safe at Cairo it would
be the greatest trip ever made on
the western waters, as there were
more people on board than were
ever carried on one boat on the
Mississippi River!” William J,
Gambrel, first clerk & part owner of
the steamship Sultana.

11. The St. Francis Dam: Engineering Failure

12. During the Los Angeles Coroner's Inquest
William Mulholland, chief engineer, Water
Department Los Angeles said: “This inquest
is a very painful for me to have to attend but
it is the occasion of that is painful. The only
ones I envy about this whole thing are the
ones who are dead. Whether it is good or
bad, don't blame anyone else, you just
fasten it on me. If there was an error in
human judgment, I was the human, I won't
try to fasten it on anyone else."

13. The Sinking of the Kursk: Poor Training and
Maintenance

14. “It's dark here to write, but I'll try by
touch. It seems like there are no
chances, 10%-20%. Let's hope that at
least someone will read this. Hello to
everyone. There is no need to despair."
Captain Lieutenant Dmitri Kolesnikov,
commander 7th Compartment (turbine
room) Russian submarine Kursk.

15. Pearl Harbor

16. “Should hostilities once break out between Japan and the
United States, it would not be enough that we take Guam
and the Philippines, nor even Hawaii and San Francisco. To
make victory certain, we would have to march into
Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White
House. I wonder if our politicians (who speak so lightly of a
Japanese-American war) have confidence as to the final
outcome and are prepared to make the necessary
sacrifices.” Admiral Yamamoto, Commander Japanese
Navy. (Note that this quote was used extensively for
propaganda purposes by the United States by leaving out
the last sentence)

17. ALIVE! Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571

18. “It was repugnant. Through the eyes of
our civilized society it was a disgusting
decision. My dignity was on the floor
having to grab a piece of my dead friend
and eat it in order to survive. But then I
thought of my mother and wanted to do
my best to get back to see her. I
swallowed a piece and it was a huge step
- after which nothing happened.” Dr.
Robert Canessa

19. Seven Ways to Prevent Catastrophes
1. Have a Special Ops preparation mindset
2. Focus by utilizing both big picture & detail
thinkers
3. Conduct Special Forces Area Studies
4. Use the Special Forces CARVER formula
5. Have a “10th man”
6. Conduct After Action Reviews
7. Write and USE Standing Operating Procedures
(SOPs)

20. Are you interested in a presentation about various catastrophes
and how the cascade events could have been prevented?
Events covered range from human-machine interface, to
leadership, to communication, cost-cutting, engineering, group
think, perseverance, systematic failure, and more?
Catastrophes are cascade events culminating in disastrous
chaos. War is chaos. Special Forces is the most elite unit trained
for a variety of combat situations.
What makes Special Forces elite is our mindset and
preparation.
Are you interested in a presentation on how to use Special
Forces tactics, techniques and mental attitude to help your
organization anticipate and prevent potential catastrophes?
Please email bob@bobmayer.com
Summary

21. More Free Information
I constantly update free, downloadable
slideshows like this on my web site for
preparation and survival and other topics.
Use Your Camera on this QR Code

22. More Free Information
Since Slideshare no longer supports links,
I’ve also put all the links to free apps, gear and web
pages on my web site at
www.bobmayer.com
Use the pop up from the following image there and
scroll through for what you want:

23. This book walks you through your personal situation,
your home, and your Area of Operations.

24. AMAZON

28. New York Times bestselling author, is a graduate of West Point and
former Green Beret. He’s had over 80 books published, including the
#1 bestselling series Green Berets, Time Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis.
He’s sold over 5 million books. He was born in the Bronx and has
traveled the world. He’s lived on an island off the east coast, an island
off the west coast, in the Rocky Mountains, the Smoky Mountains and
other places, including time in East Asia studying martial arts.
He was an instructor and course developer/writer for years at the
JFK Special Warfare Center and School which trains Green Berets and
also runs the SERE school:
Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.
www.bobmayer.com

29. New York Times bestselling author, is a graduate of West Point and
former Green Beret. He’s had over 80 books published, including the
#1 bestselling series Green Berets, Time Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis.
He’s sold over 5 million books. He was born in the Bronx and has
traveled the world. He’s lived on an island off the east coast, an island
off the west coast, in the Rocky Mountains, the Smoky Mountains and
other places, including time in East Asia studying martial arts.
They haven’t caught him yet.
www.bobmayer.com