This study examined the decision-making processes of community college presidents when confronted with unexpected and major challenges. During the day-to-day operations of community colleges, presidents typically rely on their best judgment when making routine decisions. However, this decision-making process needs to change when the unexpected occurs and causes a threat to the well-being of the college or the continued tenure of the president. The authors were interested in learning how presidents manage a challenge in order to prevent it from becoming a crisis. Using a multiple-case-study methodology, the authors selected 13 cases for in-depth study. The authors provide recommendations for best practices. (Contains 5 tables.)