Story highlights Juliette Kayyem: If the transition challenges are any indication, the Trump administration may not be prepared for a crisis

Given that, those outside government must prepare to respond with a steady hand and commitment to unity, writes Kayyem

Juliette Kayyem is the author of the best-selling "Security Mom: An Unclassified Guide to Protecting Our Homeland and Your Home." She is a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School, a former assistant secretary of homeland security in the Obama administration and founder of Kayyem Solutions, a security consulting firm. Kayyem was a Hillary Clinton supporter who advised the campaign on homeland security issues. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own.

(CNN) As President-elect Donald Trump's transition continues with an unprecedented level of confusion and delay, it is worth noting that this, in fact, is the easy part. Transitions from one administration to another are so formalized and organized at this stage -- buoyed by a congressional statute that lays out the process and protocols -- that nothing but utter mismanagement can explain what is unfolding.

Complaints about the transition, irrespective of controversial and unqualified personnel whose names are being floated, are not a partisan gripe. Transitions are generally taken seriously, because anything can happen on Day One. Trump won, and he must be prepared to immediately govern.

Juliette Kayyem

But as the days have unfolded, I have been growing more concerned with what the management, backstabbing and infighting also reveal. This team of mostly white men -- with conservative and racially tinged inclinations, including from the recently announced national security adviser Michael Flynn -- may not be able to handle a crisis with a steady hand and commitment to unity. In short, if the lead-up to Day One is any hint, as a nation we must prepare for a disturbing Day After.

Here's something we know for sure: This future president will face a crisis. It may be a major storm, an earthquake, an oil spill or a virus like Zika. Chances are also high, given the nature of the terror threat today, that some radicalized lone wolf will be able to succeed in killing Americans in the name of Islam. And when that happens, whether it is a large or small attack, the pressures on any administration to do something in response will be profound.

JUST WATCHED Fear, anger over potential 'Muslim registry' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Fear, anger over potential 'Muslim registry' 03:04