The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center devastated this investment bank. We discuss our work in helping Sandler O’Neill & Partners’ remaining managing director, employees and families, recover from the trauma of losing 39% of their friends and colleagues. We present the challenges and successes of bringing together survivors, families, volunteers and new employees in the work of honoring the dead while rebuilding the firm.

Through a case study of a senior executive at a foreign bank, we look at the complex dynamics between leadership, teamwork and organizational culture, and how to help leaders navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing business landscape. We address the importance of understanding the psychological factors that drive individual and organizational behavior and decision-making; the role of leadership in fostering creativity and innovation; and the challenges and opportunities presented by organizational culture and its political dynamics.