This book is about three important words: coping, calamity and leader. Each of these has a dictionary definition and each is also very specific to the context within which they are used and subject to the perceptions of those who use them. 'Coping' is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as to contend evenly, grapple successfully. It is about recovery, about making it through the difficult times or over the obstacles. Implicit within coping, is the notion of survival, of being able to continue. So who is a 'Leader? This book is based on the premise that we are all leaders. Some of us hold formal positional roles that we use to define ourselves as leaders, for others it is more subtle. Everyone in this book has demonstrated leadership within his or her community. Every person in this book is an ordinary leader—for whom ordinary, and sometimes extra-ordinary, mishaps happen. There are many books that cover the high profile leaders in the world. Our aim is to share with you what happens when every day leaders meet every day calamities, and how they cope with them.