Faster. Messier. Tougher.
ISBN
Publisher
Imprint
Year Published
Print Length
Format
SKU
9798897010417
Entrepreneur Books
N/A
2026
280 pages
Paperback
2639
Original price was: ₨8,450.00.₨1,350.00Current price is: ₨1,350.00.
The crisis playbook you learned is obsolete.
Description
Worse―it’s dangerous. What worked five years ago now accelerates disaster. In a world where silence equals guilt, every statement becomes political, and misinformation travels faster than truth, corporate leaders need an entirely new approach to protecting their organizations.
Bradley Akubuiro served as Boeing’s chief spokesperson during the 737 MAX crisis and has counseled companies facing everything from DEI backlash to viral boycotts. His counterintuitive insight: authenticity beats perfection and sometimes it’s better to double down than to back off.
This book reveals the frameworks that separate companies that survive from those that don’t. You’ll learn to identify the handful of stakeholders whose opinions actually matter, build trust that protects you when disaster strikes, leverage AI without losing authenticity, and design organizations where communications drives strategy rather than supporting it.
For CEOs, communications leaders, and anyone responsible for organizational reputation, this is your field guide to thriving in an era where corporate communications and crisis communications have become the same thing. The world has become faster, messier, and tougher. This book shows you how to master it.
Praise and Reviews
"In an era of noise, fear, and confusion, this book is a call to higher ground. But the only way to get there is by finding common ground. Bradley offers leaders not just a strategy but a moral compass. His words remind us that conviction still matters, and trust can still be earned."
― Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Civil rights icon------------------------------
"Bradley’s steadiness under pressure is remarkable―the kind of composure you can’t teach. This book reflects the same calm, clear-eyed approach he brings to navigating the most complex communications challenges of our time."
― Robert Gibbs
Former White House Press Secretary; Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery------------------------------
"Trust is built slowly and lost instantly. Bradley understands how leaders earn credibility under fire―and how organizations keep it when the world is watching. While there’s a trust deficit in American institutions, they should learn from Bradley’s insights before they’re in crisis."
― Honorable Patrick J. Murphy
Thirty-second army undersecretary; former US congressman------------------------------
"Bradley Akubuiro has seen firsthand how high the stakes can get, and Faster. Messier. Tougher. delivers the kind of honest, actionable advice leaders rarely get. Bradley is a clear, essential voice, and this book is a road map for staying grounded when it matters most."
― Michael Gonda
EVP & Chief Communications Officer, Nike------------------------------
"Crisis doesn’t build culture―it exposes it. Bradley Akubuiro understands this with a clarity few can match. Drawing on deep experience, this book offers practical, hard-earned wisdom to help leaders safeguard what matters most when the stakes are highest and the future feels uncertain."
― Whitney Eichinger
Chief Communications Officer, Southwest Airlines------------------------------
"Bradley distills the chaos of the modern communications landscape into a playbook that's sharp, current, and unflinchingly real."
― Katie Hill
Senior Vice President for Communications, National Football League------------------------------
"Part memoir, part master class, Bradley Akubuiro’s Faster. Messier. Tougher. shows leaders how to harness the power of storytelling to turn crises into defining moments. Bradley’s deep understanding of how to guide others through uncertainty is evident throughout―it’s a brilliant comms and strategy playbook for the perma-crisis era."
― Emily Ramshaw
Co-founder and CEO, The 19th------------------------------
"'Even with limited power, you can change anything.' That’s the lesson of Bradley Akubuiro’s career and the message of his compelling book, Faster. Messier. Tougher. From foreign war zones to the corporate suites of Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, and United Technologies, Akubuiro conducts a master class in strategic communications and vivid storytelling. A must-read for every aspiring great communicator."
― Chris Whipple
New York Times best-selling author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency and Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History
About the Author
BRADLEY AKUBUIRO is a partner at Bully Pulpit International, leading the firm's corporate communications practice and providing crisis management counsel to some of the world’s largest brands across sports, tech, fashion, food, hospitality, and more. Previously Chief Spokesperson for The Boeing Company, he has led communications through some of the most challenging corporate crises in recent memory. His insights have appeared in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Business Insider, and he has been featured in Bloomberg, Axios, and The Boston Globe. Named to 40 Under 40 lists by Crain's Chicago Business and PR Week, Bradley teaches at Northwestern University's Medill School and serves on the boards of The Institute for Public Relations and The 19th* News. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Allison.
Faster. Messier. Tougher.
By : Bradley Akubuiro
The crisis playbook you learned is obsolete.
Description
Worse―it's dangerous. What worked five years ago now accelerates disaster. In a world where silence equals guilt, every statement becomes political, and misinformation travels faster than truth, corporate leaders need an entirely new approach to protecting their organizations.
Bradley Akubuiro served as Boeing’s chief spokesperson during the 737 MAX crisis and has counseled companies facing everything from DEI backlash to viral boycotts. His counterintuitive insight: authenticity beats perfection and sometimes it’s better to double down than to back off.
This book reveals the frameworks that separate companies that survive from those that don't. You'll learn to identify the handful of stakeholders whose opinions actually matter, build trust that protects you when disaster strikes, leverage AI without losing authenticity, and design organizations where communications drives strategy rather than supporting it.
For CEOs, communications leaders, and anyone responsible for organizational reputation, this is your field guide to thriving in an era where corporate communications and crisis communications have become the same thing. The world has become faster, messier, and tougher. This book shows you how to master it.
Praise and Reviews
"In an era of noise, fear, and confusion, this book is a call to higher ground. But the only way to get there is by finding common ground. Bradley offers leaders not just a strategy but a moral compass. His words remind us that conviction still matters, and trust can still be earned."
― Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Civil rights icon------------------------------
"Bradley’s steadiness under pressure is remarkable―the kind of composure you can’t teach. This book reflects the same calm, clear-eyed approach he brings to navigating the most complex communications challenges of our time."
― Robert Gibbs
Former White House Press Secretary; Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery------------------------------
"Trust is built slowly and lost instantly. Bradley understands how leaders earn credibility under fire―and how organizations keep it when the world is watching. While there’s a trust deficit in American institutions, they should learn from Bradley’s insights before they’re in crisis."
― Honorable Patrick J. Murphy
Thirty-second army undersecretary; former US congressman------------------------------
"Bradley Akubuiro has seen firsthand how high the stakes can get, and Faster. Messier. Tougher. delivers the kind of honest, actionable advice leaders rarely get. Bradley is a clear, essential voice, and this book is a road map for staying grounded when it matters most."
― Michael Gonda
EVP & Chief Communications Officer, Nike------------------------------
"Crisis doesn’t build culture―it exposes it. Bradley Akubuiro understands this with a clarity few can match. Drawing on deep experience, this book offers practical, hard-earned wisdom to help leaders safeguard what matters most when the stakes are highest and the future feels uncertain."
― Whitney Eichinger
Chief Communications Officer, Southwest Airlines------------------------------
"Bradley distills the chaos of the modern communications landscape into a playbook that's sharp, current, and unflinchingly real."
― Katie Hill
Senior Vice President for Communications, National Football League------------------------------
"Part memoir, part master class, Bradley Akubuiro’s Faster. Messier. Tougher. shows leaders how to harness the power of storytelling to turn crises into defining moments. Bradley’s deep understanding of how to guide others through uncertainty is evident throughout―it’s a brilliant comms and strategy playbook for the perma-crisis era."
― Emily Ramshaw
Co-founder and CEO, The 19th------------------------------
"'Even with limited power, you can change anything.' That’s the lesson of Bradley Akubuiro’s career and the message of his compelling book, Faster. Messier. Tougher. From foreign war zones to the corporate suites of Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, and United Technologies, Akubuiro conducts a master class in strategic communications and vivid storytelling. A must-read for every aspiring great communicator."
― Chris Whipple
New York Times best-selling author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency and Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History
About the Author
BRADLEY AKUBUIRO is a partner at Bully Pulpit International, leading the firm's corporate communications practice and providing crisis management counsel to some of the world’s largest brands across sports, tech, fashion, food, hospitality, and more. Previously Chief Spokesperson for The Boeing Company, he has led communications through some of the most challenging corporate crises in recent memory. His insights have appeared in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Business Insider, and he has been featured in Bloomberg, Axios, and The Boston Globe. Named to 40 Under 40 lists by Crain's Chicago Business and PR Week, Bradley teaches at Northwestern University's Medill School and serves on the boards of The Institute for Public Relations and The 19th* News. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Allison.