What Leaders Can Learn From The Miracle on The Hudson

I posted this in January on Facebook (reposting on the new blog)

Here's something I'm sharing with my GMs and GSMs this morning on our monthly conference call:

What Can Leaders Learn From The Miracle on the Hudson?
Allen Power

It was indisputably a miracle of God! Hence the “tag line” everyone is using. This reminds us that a loving and sovereign God can orchestrate events and give us power that is beyond anything human beings can claim credit for.

It gave us some good news and satisfied the instinctively American need for a hero.
As leaders we don’t have to be a hero, but we should strive for leadership that people can point to as positively impacting them particularly in tough times. As Fred Smith said: “Heroes don’t have to be famous, they just have to be heroes.”

It reinforced the importance of training and preparation. The old saying is “luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” Just substitute “crisis” for “opportunity” in this case. Hours of disciplined training and scenario rehearsals led to the “happy ending” we all witnessed.

It reminds us that true leaders have humility. Basically “Sully” and the crew have laid low and taken the “I was just doing my job” attitude. Refreshing. I’m paraphrasing here because they haven’t talked much, but it feels as if they are saying: “Wasn’t safely landing a plane under the worst conditions the whole point? Anyone can fly on auto-pilot!”

It reminds us of the importance of quick, decisive action. We’re talking seconds to figure out what to do and then DO it. No hand wringing here. Looking at the transcripts of the flight recorder is pretty telling. It didn’t sound like anyone was “freaking out”.

It reminds us of the critical leadership qualities of a cool head and a steady hand. That kind of focus under pressure comes from the formula of : Knowing WHAT to do + knowing YOU CAN do it + knowing WHO YOU ARE.

It reminds us that there is no substitute for battle experience and “time in the cockpit”.

It reminds us that what we might think of as “little things” (geese) can destroy our plans and endanger our journey if enough of them hit at the same time.

It reminds us that life isn’t fair or predictable and sometimes “both engines get hit” and how we respond determines whether we and the people we lead survive.

Finally, the “Miracle on the Hudson” also gave us some badly needed perspective: When those 155 people…got off the plane I can guarantee you they weren’t asking how the stock market was doing! Life is bigger than the crisis you are presently in…more importantly God is bigger than all of it and is looking for a few “Sullys” to be his hands and feet in leading people through critical and dangerous times!

The Resilient Leader

Being A Resilient Leader During Times of Change
Power Region Leadership Development Group
February 14, 2008

Uncertainty & Change

• Paradigm Shifts
• Economic Woes
• Restructuring
• Layoffs
• Divestitures
• Management Changes
• New Technology

Why I Chose This Topic
Uncertainty & Changes MAGNIFY Insecurity
“How will this affect the psyche of my people?”
A conversation with my Pastor on leadership training
From “Managing at the Speed of Change” By Daryl Conner:

• Future Shock syndrome
• Too much change in a short amount of time makes people cave in. High stress results in ulcers, conflict, and sometimes, even suicide.
• Future shock is that point when humans can no longer assimilate change without displaying dysfunctional behavior.
• Symptoms:
• Irritation
• Distraction from work
• Poor communication
• Reduced trust
• Defensive and blameful behavior
• Poor decision-making
• Conflict with co-workers
• Decreased team effectiveness
• Inappropriate outbursts at the office
• Venting job frustration at home
• Low morale
• From “Managing at the Speed of Change” By Daryl Conner:
• Key wisdom in a nutshell:
• To prosper, remain competitive, or simply survive, leaders need to respond to a growing number of profound changes in how they govern countries, structure companies, conduct business, treat employees, and deal with customers.
• The main ingredient of success is the ability resilient people have to understand and use to their advantage the principles underlying basic human patterns that operate during change.
• People who demonstrate resilient characteristics most often prosper during disruption and disorder. They regain equilibrium faster, maintain a higher level of productivity and efficiency, preserve their emotional and physical health, and achieve more of their objectives than people who experience future shock.
• “Human beings are like tea bags. You don’t know your own strength until you get into hot water.”

Discussion Question:
What Are Some Ways We Can Deal With Uncertain Days?
From “Managing at the Speed of Change” By Daryl Conner:

• Resilient people or type O’s…
• Display a sense of security and self-assurance
• Have a clear vision of what they want to achieve
• Demonstrate a special pliability when responding to uncertainty
• Develop structured approaches to managing ambiguity
• Engage change rather than defend against it
• Last word: Resilient people are positive, focused, flexible, organized, and proactive

My Own Tips…

• Attack Insecurity with Information!
• Communicate Both Upward and Downward
• Don’t “Fill in the Blanks” – Ask Questions
• Don’t “Leave Blanks that Can Be Filled In” – Anticipate Questions
• Think about how what you communicate can/will be interpreted
• Remember the verbal AND the NON-VERBAL
• Attack Anxiety with ACTION!
• The old saying: “Stop stewing and start DOING!”
• Don’t solve problems you don’t have.
• It’s a valuable trait to “think ahead” and plan for contingencies.
• Like any good thing you can take it to an extreme.
• Attack Uncertainty with Attitude
• Leaders have a responsibility to CHOOSE our attitude strategically
• Attack Automatic Thoughts with Autonomy OVER your Thoughts
• Check out the book: The 4:8 Principle – By Tommy Newberry (Based on Phil 4:8)
• The one thing over which you have complete control: your thoughts
• Attack Fear with Faith
• During uncertainty we seek to CONTROL
• We should control what we can…but,
• Some things are out of our CONTROL
• That’s where the FAITH COMPONENT of life is so important!