Courage Under Fire
Courage Under Fire is used as a leadership case study to examine decision-making, governance, and institutional preparedness under extreme pressure.
Firsthand lessons in crisis leadership, decision-making under pressure, and institutional accountability from a 30-year law enforcement veteran and former U.S. Capitol Police Chief.
From Experience to Conversation
Courage Under Fire is used as a leadership case study to examine decision-making, governance, and institutional preparedness under extreme pressure.
CONTEXT
Courage Under Fire is a firsthand leadership case study drawn from a moment of extreme institutional pressure. It provides context for how complex systems behave when warning signs are missed and decisions must be made in real time, with limited information and real consequences.
LEADERSHIP
At its core, this book examines leadership under stress—how individuals interpret risk, communicate urgency, and act when plans are tested. The focus is not on blame, but on responsibility, judgment, and the human factors that shape outcomes in critical moments.
PREPARATION
The lessons extend far beyond a single event. They offer insight into how organizations can prepare more effectively, strengthen decision-making structures, and build resilience before crisis arrives—when preparation matters most.
What This Book Is — and Is Not
A reflection on leadership, preparation, and responsibility—written from experience.
What It Is
Courage Under Fire examines how institutions perform when tested by extreme pressure, limited authority, and rapidly evolving threats. Drawing on more than three decades of senior law enforcement experience, former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven A. Sund presents a documented analysis of leadership challenges, governance constraints, and decision-making during a national crisis.
Written as an institutional case study rather than a political narrative, the book focuses on lessons applicable to leaders responsible for people, infrastructure, and public trust.
What It Is Not
This book is not a political argument, a retrospective debate, or an attempt to assign blame. It does not seek to convince, but to inform.
Its purpose is to help leaders, professionals, and organizations better understand how complex systems behave under stress—and how preparation and governance decisions made long before a crisis shape outcomes.
Who This Book Is For
Courage Under Fire is written for leaders, educators, and professionals responsible for decision-making, preparedness, and public trust.
It is especially relevant for:
- Educators and students studying crisis leadership and governance
- Security professionals and risk managers
- Executives and board members responsible for oversight and preparedness
- Policymakers and public administrators
- Leadership development and executive education programs
The lessons are practical, grounded in experience, and applicable far beyond a single profession or event.
Steven A. Sund
Former Chief, United States Capitol Police
Author & Credentials
Steven A. Sund is a 30-year law enforcement leader with extensive experience in crisis response, incident command, and National Special Security Events (NSSE). He served as Chief of the United States Capitol Police and as a longtime commander with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., where he led some of the nation’s most complex and high-risk security operations.
Sund planned and executed security for more than thirty NSSEs, coordinating across federal, state, local, military, and intelligence agencies to protect national leaders, critical infrastructure, and large public gatherings.
His account in Courage Under Fire has been cited in Congressional hearings and official records and has been referred to on Capitol Hill as the definitive after-action account of January 6.
Sund continues to teach, advise, and speak on leadership, preparedness, and decision-making in high-stakes environments.
Speaking & Conversations
Steven Sund is invited to speak with organizations, institutions, and communities about leadership under pressure, organizational preparedness, and decision-making when outcomes matter most.
Grounded in real experience, his talks focus on what leaders can learn before crisis arrives—how warning signs are recognized, how responsibility is carried under stress, and how preparation shapes decisions when systems are tested.
These conversations are thoughtful, measured, and practical—designed to foster understanding, not confrontation, and to leave audiences better prepared for the challenges they will inevitably face.
Common topics include:
- Leadership and decision-making under pressure
- Organizational preparedness and readiness
- Accountability, responsibility, and judgment
- Learning from institutional stress and failure
Speaking engagements are tailored to the audience and context.
Courage Under Fire
Courage Under Fire is not the end of the conversation — it is where the work of preparation, leadership, and accountability begins.
The book brings together firsthand experience, reflection, and leadership insight into a single narrative. The book serves as both a record of events and a study in preparation, responsibility, and decision-making under pressure.
For readers interested in leadership, readiness, and how institutions are tested, the book offers perspective drawn from real-world experience.
