September 11 and Moving Beyond

Everyone was significantly impacted by the attacks. While 9/11 and its aftermath was felt throughout the world, our Manhattan location, work and friendships put us at the center of the crisis. Nearly 25% of CEO Perspective Group clients worked in or near the Twin Towers in 2001. During this difficult time, Soder's education, experience and lengthy work with federal and local law enforcement management was most valuable. A 9/12 email providing advice to clients and friends contained concrete tips, like "change your voice mail" to display positive control plus more general advice like show "calm, confident leadership" and "communicate, communicate, communicate. Talk to people, tell them what's happening, retell them as they may lose it first time, and LISTEN."

A few weeks later, CEO Perspective Group sent another email to help people move forward via practical tips, translating expertise and experience into readily implemented steps. Fortune, the Wall Street Journal and other prominent media cited the advice, and Marshall Loeb's CBS Marketwatch interview with Soder remained popular for many weeks. Her remarks at a Renaissance Weekend in 2002 had world leaders taking notes on moving beyond stress. This advice is still true; for example, "under stress dominant personality traits become more pronounced." (E-mail to request 9/11 articles.)

The need and demand for advice was so exceptional, that for several months following the disaster the entire CEO Perspective Group staff provided pro-bono services to executives, friends and law enforcement officials who were most directly involved. The range of support was extremely broad — from grief counseling, to providing research and computer aid, to discrete evaluation of management, talks to groups and more. Concerned about anthrax, one prominent investment banker with a new baby opened his mail in our office for several weeks.