Dakuku Peterside’s ‘Leading In A Storm’ Bags Harvard Professor’s Endorsement

Hugh O’Doherty, a professor of leadership and conflict at Harvard Kennedy School, Massachusetts, United States, has endorsed ‘Leading in a Storm,’ a new book by Nigerian author and governance expert, Dakuku Peterside.

O’Doherty described the work as “not just another leadership book”. According to the professor, ‘Leading In A Storm’ is a practical guide for navigating uncertainty and turbulence.

“Leading in a Storm illuminates the critical skills we must develop to thrive in turbulent times,” he said.

According to O’Doherty, Peterside’s emphasis on resilience and adaptive leadership provides leaders in both the corporate and public sectors with the tools to excel during challenging conditions.

The professor has served as director of the Ireland-US Public Leadership Programme and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, and consulted widely across conflict regions including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, and Cyprus.

His insights have also been featured at international platforms such as the United Nations Global Forum on Reinventing Government.

Leading in a Storm, scheduled for release in October 2025 by Safari Books Limited, explores eight pillars of crisis leadership, including situational intelligence, calm confidence, sense-making and strategic decision-making.

Through real-world case studies, Peterside offers a guide for leaders across government, business, and civil society in the book.

Leading in a Storm is scheduled for launches in Lagos, Abuja, London and Chicago.

Peterside, a former House of Representatives member and public policy expert, said the book seeks to equipp leaders in government, business and civil society to act with clarity and conviction in times of disruption.

He was the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency from March 2016 to March 2020.

Dakuku Peterside’s ‘Leading In A Storm’ Bags Harvard Professor’s Endorsement is first published on The Whistler Newspaper