Author: Michele Wucker

You may recall a spike in Google searches for “What’s the European Union?” after British citizens voted in June to leave the EU. When I woke up in London the morning of November 9th, Londoners, no doubt feeling a bit smug now that the US has had its own ballot-box surprise, quipped that the most googled query in the United States that morning was “What is the US President?” Back in the USA after a extended trip to Europe, I’ve found people don’t laugh nearly as hard as Brits did; nor, do I suspect, did the British find as much humor…

I went to sleep in London last night making the reasonable assumption that the election would bear out the predictions of many polls. Like so many people, how wrong I was. I’m in London for the BCI World Summit, where I delivered the opening keynote address yesterday morning. Over the afternoon and evening, conversations between sessions often turned to Trump. People wanted to know: Was Trump a gray rhino or black swan? I define gray rhinos as highly probable, high impact threats. Trump’s candidacy and initial success started as a highly improbable black swan. But, like most black swans, it was…

Did you know that Ostriches don’t really bury their heads in the sand? They lower their heads to the sand to scoop up sand and pebbles to help them digest. They also dig holes in the ground to bury their eggs. But a little poetic license never hurt anyone. Facts notwithstanding, the Ostrich with its head in the sand remains a powerful metaphor in the English language, and an important cautionary tale. We’re all different in the ways we respond to the probable but often overlooked, downplayed, or outright ignored problems that I call “gray rhinos.” Take the Gray Rhino…

We’re all different in the ways we respond to obvious threats -the big scary things coming at us like a rhinoceros. Take the Gray Rhino Quiz to find out how well you deal with the obvious dangers in your life, work and in the world around you. I call these probable but often overlooked problems “gray rhinos” because Black rhinos are not actually black, White rhinos are not actually white -their names are inaccurate because they miss the obvious fact that they are all gray. Some of us are just the right amount of prepared, like Game Wardens. Some of…

Welcome to my new blog, The Horn. Yes, pun intended. A rhino wouldn’t be a rhino without growing a horn. But a horn, in a completely different sense, also is a way to communicate. That’s the way this new blog uses it. I’ll be writing here about the gray rhinos -the obvious but unresolved and often all but ignored threats facing the world, companies, and individuals- and about strategies for dealing with them before they trample us. Posts will include annual reviews of the top global risks compiled and filtered from the best top global risks lists and thinkers. I’ll…

At the end of the third quarter, Europe risks are rising again with Italy’s constitutional referendum, a wobbly pound, and the resumed IMF-EU tug-of-war over Greek debt forgiveness. The danger level in the Middle East is up as well following the collapse of another Syrian cease-fire and dramatic downturn in US-Russia relations.

The 5 Stages of a Gray Rhino from Michele Wucker

Welcome to My Gray Rhino, a new blog featuring behavioral strategies to help you to head off the obvious problems that don’t get the attention you know they should. The image of the bird on the rhino’s tush, taken by a friend on safari, seemed appropriate to me for this blog. That little bird OWNS the rhino. The running theme of this blog is individuals, leaders, and experts who have a thing or to to share about owning your gray rhinos -ideally before you get trampled, but also about learning from experience when you do get trampled. I’ve asked for…

Click on the link to download the Readers Guide to the Gray Rhino, with helpful questions for your book club or class as well as additional resources. Special offer for Educators:  Are you teaching THE GRAY RHINO, LOCKOUT, or WHY THE COCKS FIGHT as required reading in your high school or university course? Would you like a free 20 to 30 minute Q&A session with your students over Skype? If so, please send a copy of your course syllabus to info@thegrayrhino.com, along with the time and day of the week that your class meets and a few suggested days, the number…

This e-book is FREE to subscribers to The Gray Rhino Tracker, our monthly newsletter with useful insights on how to recognize and act on the looming dangers that all too often go ignored or neglected; analysis of the gray rhinos in the news, especially in the global economy; tips on specific strategies to deal with each of the five stages of a gray rhino crisis; links to blog posts you may have missed, and more. The Gray Rhino Tracker is emailed the second Wednesday of each month. Get your own copy by signing up below. Subscribe to The Gray…